Spanish Lesson Plan: Poems inspired by Rosalía’s music

This lesson uses La Reliquia by Rosalía to help students explore growth, identity, and change through Gen-Z’s music. Your students will analyze symbolic language in the lyrics, then write their own poems in Spanish inspired by the song.

From Bad Bunny in 2026 to Rosalía leading what’s next

At the 2026 Grammys on Saturday night, Bad Bunny became the first artist to win Album of the Year with a Spanish-language album, confirming that Latin music is leading global pop culture.

Following in his footsteps, Rosalía, from Barcelona, Spain, stands out as one of the most influential voices in today’s Spanish-language music — and a strong contender to lead what comes next.

Her work resonates with Gen Z while offering lyrics that are reflective, symbolic, and classroom-appropriate.

This lesson turns one of her songs into a structured writing activity that helps students interpret meaning, think symbolically, and express ideas in Spanish.

Part 1: Listening

Play the song “La Reliquia” by Rosalía in class, paying particular attention to the following lyrics:

Yo que perdí mis manos en Jerez
Y mis ojos en Roma
Crecí y el descaro lo aprendí
Por ahí por Barcelona
Perdí mi lengua en París
Mi tiempo en L.A.
Los heels en Milán
La sonrisa en U.K.

Lyrics excerpt from La Reliquia by Rosalía (2023)¹

Discussion prompts:

1. What does Rosalía “lose” or “learn” in each place?
2. Are these losses literal or symbolic?

Student task: Students listen to the song again and match objects or ideas with the places mentioned on the student worksheet.

Part 2: Analyze & Interpret

Guide students toward interpretation and personal connection using the following prompts:

1. Why do you think Rosalía connects identity changes to cities?
2. Do you think her losses are negative, necessary, or both?
3. How can relationships, new experiences, or visiting new places shape a person in adolescence and young adulthood?

Part 3: Create your own poem

Now have students write their own poem using the structure from Rosalía’s La Reliquia.
Guidelines:

1. Write in the first person
2. Focus on growth, change, or identity
3. Places can be literal or symbolic (cities, schools, stages of life)
4. Use short lines and repetition

Take it a step further…

If your students connect with Rosalía’s lyrics and themes of identity and place, consider extending that learning through travel!

Need some inspiration? The Art & Architecture tour below takes your students to Barcelona — Rosalía’s hometown — along with Madrid and Salamanca, and includes a flamenco class, cooking workshop, and visit to the University of Salamanca.

Every school is different, and this itinerary can be customized to fit your students, schedule, and program goals.

1. Song lyrics © Rosalía. Used for educational purposes. ↩︎