"The Pedigree of Honey" by Emily Dickinson

The pedigree of honey
Does not concern the bee;
A clover, any time, to him
Is aristocracy.

Poems by Emily Dickinson (1891) | Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)


Online Poetry Anthology

Suggestions
  • Read the poem aloud.
  • Copy the poem into a copybook.
  • If you are not familiar with the habits of honey bees, you’ll want to learn more to be able to understand the poem (see resources below).
  • Older students can study the poem:
    • Rewrite the poem substituting in brackets the meanings for the words pedigree, concern, and aristocracy.
    • Reread the poem aloud using the words in the brackets.
    • What two things are being compared? Make a compare/contrast chart to detail the differences.
    • Rewrite the poem as a single sentence that illustrates the point the author is making.
  • Observe a bee.
  • Create an author page for Dickinson, if you haven’t already.

Additional Resources

Before I Got My Eye Put Out: The Poetry of Emily Dickinson
This is an excellent video for older students from Crash Course Literature. You may want to preview.

“The Butterfly and the Bee” by William Lisle Bowles
You may want to read this poem for comparison.

Books
Poetry for Young People Dickinson

Poetry for Young People: Emily Dickinson
We love these books. The point of the book is to introduce young students to poetry at an early age. It takes the mystery out of poetry, making it accessible. So don’t expect detailed poetical analysis. Simply read and enjoy. There is a fruitful payoff over time….

The First Book of Bees {Free eBook}
More information on bees.

Units & Lesson Plans

Free Nature Studies: The Honey Bee
Learn more about the habits of honey bees!

Printables and Notebooking Pages

Graphic Orgnizer
For analyzing Dickinson’s poetry as described above.

Author Notebooking Paper
Create an author page for Emily Dickinson.

Don’t Miss a Thing!

Subscribe to receive updates and additions.

Learn to Write. Write.:

Write Something Every Day

Tools for the Homeschool Handy-Mom

At DIY Homeschooler we provide encouragement and resources to those homeschool handy-moms paving their own way — solutions to help you “do-it-yourself” when it comes to tutoring your children. Learn more.

The Latest

Affiliate Disclosure

Throughout this site you will find affiliate links to items that we trust and enthusiastically recommend. If you decide to use these links to make a purchase, we do receive a small compensation that helps support this site. Thank you! Read our full affiliate disclosure to learn more.

Keep Reading

Create a website or blog at WordPress.com