The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“The Poetry of Narnia”

In this activity, students will write a poem about a character or key moment in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to explore the key themes further.

Many fans have written poetry about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Narnia, and the series overall. Doing so is a creative exercise that lets them reflect more deeply about the text while also writing about a character and/or theme that matters to them. In this activity, you will read one of the poems written by a fan and then create your own based on a character or shared theme that you wish to explore.

Part A

Think of a moment that stood out to you in the novel and analyze why you think that moment was important. Here are some questions you might consider using to help you get started:

• What would it mean to tell this moment from the point of view of a particular character?
• How does this moment connect to one of the novel’s themes: The Dangers of Gluttony and Sin, The Significance of Love, Sacrifice, and Redemption, or The Journey to Adulthood?
• How might this moment have gone differently?
• What might this moment foreshadow?

Compose your poem about the moment, scene, event, or character; write from a character’s point of view or an outside neutral speaker’s voice. As time allows, use peer critique circles and feedback to help in the revision and editing process.

As a class, share your experience writing this poem and discuss your creative process. Consider questions such as:

• What made you choose the subject that you did?
• How does your poem add to the world C. S. Lewis created?
• Did this poem change your understanding of the novel? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: Encourage students to use this as an opportunity to let their creativity flow and to connect further with something about the novel that they connect with personally. Remind them that it’s more about what they take away from the activity than it is about their skills as amateur poets.

Differentiation Suggestion: English learners may choose a visual or musical option instead of writing a poem. Consider alternatives, such as a video presentation, a “Most Wanted” poster, or a podcast interview.

Use these essay questions as writing and critical thinking exercises for all levels of writers, and to build their literary analysis skills by requiring textual references throughout the essay.

Differentiation Suggestion: For English learners or struggling writers, strategies that work well include graphic organizers, sentence frames or starters, group work, or oral responses.

Scaffolded Essay Questions

Student Prompt: Write a short (1-3 paragraph) response using one of the bulleted outlines below. Cite details from the text over the course of your response that serve as examples and support.

1. The lamppost doesn’t seem to belong in Narnia.

• Why might the lamppost be important to the children? What does it symbolize?: (topic sentence)
• At what moments does the lamppost appear and disappear? Use at least three examples and connect them back to your argument.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how your argument contributes to the larger theme of The Journey to Adulthood.

2. Food is a central motif in the novel, helping Lucy to connect with Mr. Tumnus and prompting Edmund to betray his siblings.

• What role does food play in this novel? (topic sentence)
• What can food tell us about the relationship between characters? Cite and explain three examples to prove your point.
• In your concluding sentence or sentences, consider how food contributes to either the theme of The Dangers of Gluttony and Sin or The Significance of Love, Sacrifice, and Redemption.

3. There are several moments in the novel in which seasonal change is mentioned.

• Why are the seasons important? What do they indicate? (topic sentence)
• What greater meaning might the seasons have beyond changing weather? Use three examples to explore this meaning.
• In your concluding sentences or sentences, connect your argument back to either The Journey to Adulthood or The Significance of Love, Sacrifice, and Redemption.

Full Essay Assignments

Student Prompt: Write a structured and well-developed essay. Include a thesis statement, at least three main points supported by text details, and a conclusion.

1. The female siblings and the male siblings take on different roles throughout the novel. What might C. S. Lewis be implying about the role of women? How are gender roles expressed in the actions of Lucy, Susan, Peter, and Edmund? Write an essay in which you examine the gender dynamics of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, connecting it back to the historical context in which the novel was written.

2. Friendship is important in this novel, and Peter, Susan, and Lucy quickly make friends with the inhabitants of Narnia. How are they able to forge these relationships? What values in friendships does Lewis emphasize in the novel? Write an essay in which you explore these relationships and values and connect them back to the theme of The Significance of Love, Sacrifice, and Redemption.

3. At the end of the novel, the children become the adult rulers of Narnia. But unlike a coming-of-age novel, these characters then return to their childhoods. Write an essay about how this novel addresses both the theme of The Journey To Adulthood and the importance of childhood innocence. Use textual evidence to support your claims.

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. How does the children’s excitement over the Professor’s home mirror their feelings toward Narnia?

A) They are excited to explore both because they are new places.

B) They are fearful of what awaits them in unfamiliar places.

C) They are cautious when it comes to being away from their family’s estate.

D) They are concerned about the awful things that have happened in each location.

2. Which of the following items symbolizes Edmund’s greed?

A) The Stone Table

B) Tumnus’s handkerchief

C) Turkish Delight

D) The sword of Aslan

3. What does their experience in Narnia teach the children?

A) They can escape the world and hide from their problems.

B) No matter where they go, evil will find them.

C) The world is more magical than they ever imagined, and paradises do indeed exist.

D) They can fight their own demons and grow from their experiences.

4. What does Edmund’s refusal to corroborate the existence of Narnia reveal about him?

A) He values keeping Lucy safe over keeping her happy.

B) He would rather upset Lucy than admit he was wrong.

C) He wants his brother’s approval more than anything.

D) He has ill intent toward his siblings.

5. What do Father Christmas’s gifts foreshadow?

A) The persistence of winter

B) The role the children play in the upcoming battle

C) The maturing of the children as they become adults during wartime

D) The importance of magic

6. Why is it important that Edmund witnesses the White Witch turning animals to stone?

A) It makes him determined to escape.

B) It shows him that good rulers are never cruel.

C) It convinces him that magic is real.

D) It causes him to feel sympathy for other creatures.

7. What does Peter’s killing of Maugrim symbolize?

A) Aslan’s inevitable triumph

B) The defeat of winter

C) The transition from boyhood into manhood

D) The betrayal of Edmund

8. How does the tone of the novel change immediately after Aslan and the White Witch have their private discussion in Chapter 13?

A) It becomes more ominous.

B) It becomes more carefree.

C) It becomes more thoughtful.

D) It becomes more whimsical.

9. What theme does Lewis develop through the character of Edmund?

A) A person achieves forgiveness through deeds, not just apologies.

B) An apology is all that is needed to breathe new life into a relationship.

C) Forgiveness takes time and trust.

D) Forgiveness is more than just one apology; a person must apologize several times.

10.What is the implied reason that the White Stag leads the children home at the end of the novel?

A) The war is still raging, and they must use what they have learned in Narnia to aid in the war effort.

B) They have become too distant from the human world and who they were as children, having adopted more formal lives and language as the rulers of Narnia.

C) Their family is calling to them through the lamppost, even if they don’t recognize it yet, and they must return to them.

D) They want nothing more than to return home, and they feel a longing for England and for their real lives.

Long Answer

Compose a response of 2-3 sentences, incorporating text details to support your response.

1. How is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe a Christian allegory? Provide two examples from the text and explain each one.

2. What do the seasons symbolize in this novel?