Hello! Today’s free middle school writing lesson is based on a spine-tingling poem about imaginary friends. Cultivating imagination is important to developing awareness of self and surroundings during the teen years. Students will read the poem, answer some questions to help them notice important points, and follow the instructions to complete a creative writing assignment in which they imagine how they feel sitting in a room – with or without imaginary ‘company’.

This lesson includes basic instructions for Language Arts teachers of Grades 6 to 8 – how you use these materials is up to you. Let’s get started!

Keep reading or download the lesson in a Word file:

Grade 7 Creative Writing Lesson: A Poem About Imaginary Company

This poem was written by Walter de la Mare (1873-1956). He was of the opinion that people had two types of imagination: “The one knows that beauty is truth, the other reveals that truth is beauty.”

As You Read

This author wrote ghost stories, and at first glance, it might seem as if this were a sort of ‘ghost poem’. It is possible, however, that the poem is in fact about ‘imagination’.

The author had very firm ideas about what kind of imagination one has as a child, and what kind one has when one is older. This poem seems to be an example of where the two types of imagination meet: it is hard to tell whether the narrator really feels the presence of someone else in the house, or whether he simply imagines it. One this is certain: the feeling is real.

Text: Imaginary Company (Poem)

There must be ghosts, I think, in this old house.

Often, when I am alone,

The quiet intensifies;

The very air seems charged with mute surmise;

I pause to listen, with averted eyes;

As if in welcome.

And a passionate rapture,

As if at some thing long since pondered on,

Wells suddenly up within me. . . .

Then is gone.

Questions

1. Does the poem say that there are ghosts in the house?
2. How does the poet’s description of the silence make you feel? Did it remind you of the feeling of being alone? Why or why not?

Assignment

Write a poem about being alone in a room or in a home. Describe the sensations you have in such a situation. Perhaps you have noticed a specific sound or smell, or perhaps your attention has been drawn to a particular piece of furniture. Be sure to mention how you feel.

Middle School Writing Lessons for all levels

This stand-alone lesson can be used in any English Language Arts class or homeschool. All Middle School and High School Writing Lessons from Canadian Winter Homeschool Materials will encourage students to read and write at a more advanced level. They are an easy way to inspire Middle School students to try something new, and expand their skillset while enjoying the best of English literature!

Lessons on our blog are divided into Level One (Grade 6), Level Two (Grade 7) and Level Three (Grade 8) according to difficulty, but you can use whatever resource suits your student(s).  This lesson can be found in our complete Reading and Writing collection: Fantastic Fragments Level One.

If you enjoyed this lesson, feel free to visit our store at Teachers Pay Teachers or Tes for other teacher resources, including Reading Comprehension questions, Novel Studies, History Unit Studies and AP Tests, Grammar and Handwriting workbooks, and more!

Happy learning!

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