Transcript Poetry Analysis Using TPCASTT

TP-FASTT Poetry Analysis
a.k.a. a way to figure out what the heck
a poem might mean
Getting Started…
• This is a process to help you
organize your analysis of
poetry.
• We have already learned the
vocabulary that applies to
poems--now it’s time to put it
into practice!
TP-FASTT
TP-FASTT is an acronym that helps us
analyze poems through seven simple steps
(each letter represents one step of analysis)
By looking at each smaller part individually
and then at the poem altogether, it can help
us make some sense of what the poem
might be about!
Let’s try it together…
TP-FASTT ‘American Hero’
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T
P
F
A
S
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T
T is for TITLE
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Analyze the title first.
PREDICT what this poem will be about?
Write down your predictions.
We will reflect on the title again after we
have read the poem; this simple step helps
us think about what the poet may be
implying in their titles.
READ THE POEM!!!!
American Hero
I have nothing to lose tonight.
All my men surround me, panting,
as I spin the ball above our heads
on my middle finger.
5 It’s a shimmering club light
and I’m dancing, slick in my sweat.
Squinting, I aim at the hole
fifty feet away. I let the tension go.
Shoot for the net. Choke it.
10 I never hear the ball
slap the backboard. I slam it
through the net. The crowd goes wild
for our win. I scored
thirty-two points this game
15 and they love me for it.
Everyone hollering
is a friend tonight.
But there are towns,
certain neighborhoods
20 where I’d be hard pressed
to hear them cheer
if I move on the block.
P is for PARAPHRASE
• Paraphrasing is
putting something in
your own words.
• After reading the
poem, rewrite it in
your own words.
• This may be three
sentences or a page,
depending on the
particular poem.
F is for Figurative Language
• Analyze the figures
of speech and sound
effects of the poem.
• These are the poetry
vocabulary we have
already studied.
• These elements add to
the meaning, so we
need to make sure we
understand what each
one means!
A is for ATTITUDE
• Tone is the attitude of
the speaker toward the
subject of the poem.
WRITE DOWN
WHAT YOU
UNDERSTAND
THE AUTHOR’s
ATTITUDE (TONE)
TO BE!
Attitude/Tone Words
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Angry
Sad
Afraid
Cold
Detached
Benevolent
Dreamy
Shocking
Candid
Proud
Giddy
Pitiful
Dramatic
Provocative
Sentimental
Upset
Urgent
Complimentary
Contemptuous
Silly
Joking
Condescending
Happy
Boring
Poignant
Sympathetic
Confused
Apologetic
Hollow
Childish
Humorous
Joyful
Peaceful
Horrific
Mocking
Sarcastic
Sweet
Objective
Nostalgic
Vexed
Vibrant
Zealous
Tired
Frivolous
Irrelevant
Bitter
S is for SHIFT
• If there is a change
in…
– Time
– Tone
– Speaker
For example, does it
start happy and end
sad? Does time
pass during the
poem?
There may or may not be
shifts..
T is for TITLE (again)
• At this time, you should reconsider the
title.
• Were you right in your predictions?
• What other meanings might the title
have in light of your analysis?
• Next, the biggie….
T is for THEME
• Theme is the general insight into life
conveyed by the author through his/her
work.
• It does not make a judgment.
example: “Don’t do drugs” is not a theme.
• It merely states something that is true to
life and the human condition.
How do I find the THEME?
• Look at the other
parts of TPCASTT.
• What insight are all of
these working
together to convey?
• What is the poet
trying to say about
their subject?