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Paired Texts > A Litany for Survival

by Audre Lorde

1978

We've identified these texts as great options for text pairings based on similar themes, literary devices, topic, or writing style. Supplement your lesson with one or more of these options and challenge students to compare and contrast the texts. To assign a paired text, click on the text to go to its page and click the "Assign Text" button there.

Jabari Unmasked

Jabari Unmasked

Nikki Grimes

In Nikki Grimes' poem "Jabari Unmasked," a speaker describes hiding their identity from the world.

Pair “A Litany for Survival” with “Jabari Unmasked” and ask students to discuss the themes present in each poem. Do students think the speakers in both poems are facing a similar conflict? Why or why not? Do the speakers send the same message about how to face conflict? Explain.

8th Grade Poem
The Women of Hidden Figures

The Women of Hidden Figures

Jessica McBirney

In "The Women of Hidden Figures," Jessica McBirney describes three famous African American women who performed crucial work at NASA during the Space Race.

Pair “A Litany for Survival” with “The Women of Hidden Figures” and ask students to discuss if the speaker in the poem voiced the struggles of the women who worked as “computers” during the Space Race. How did the women of Hidden Figures speak up to support equality? Do students think the women were afraid to speak up? Why or why not?

8th Grade Biography 1180L
Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night

Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night

Emily Dickinson

In Emily Dickinson's poem "Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night," a speaker reflects on a dream.

Pair “A Litany for Survival” with “Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night” and ask students to discuss themes present in each poem. Do students think the speakers have similar experiences? Why or why not? Ask students to discuss if the speaker in “Her sweet Weight on my Heart a Night” also lives on the shoreline like the speaker in “A Litany for Survival.”

11th Grade Poem