Transcript TP-CASTT (a way to Analyze Poetry)

Poetry Analysis
TPCASTT (A WAY TO ANALYZE POETRY)
HOW DO YOU ANALYZE A POEM?
TPCASTT is a process to help you organize your
analysis of poetry – any poem
 You have the vocabulary for literary analysis, so
now it is time to put it into practice!
 Together we are going to analyze a poem using
TPCASTT – grab your blank note sheet. Feel
free to add the definition for TPCASTT as we go.

T IS FOR TITLE

Analyze the title first
 What
do you predict this poem will be about?
 Write
down your predictions
We will reflect on the title again after we have
read the poem.
 The next step is often omitted, but it is the
most important…

READ THE POEM
P IS FOR PARAPHRASE
Remember that paraphrasing is putting
something into your own words
 After reading the poem, rewrite it in your own
words

 This
may be three sentences or a page – it all
depends on the particular poem
C IS FOR CONNOTATION



Remember that connotation
is the feeling or emotion
that we get from the words
we read
Analyze the figures of
speech and sound effect of
the poem – These are the
poetry literary devices we
have defined
List the literary devices and
phrases or lines from the
poem
Simile
Metaphor
Symbol
Onomatopoeia
Denotation/Connotation
Assonance
Consonance
Hyperbole
Tone
Personification
Alliteration
Imagery
A IS FOR ATTITUDE

Attitude is just like Tone – which is the attitude of
the speaker/writer toward the subject of the poem

How does the writer feel about the subject?
 Happy
 Sad
 Excited
 Depressed
 Confused
 Angry
 Etc…
S IS FOR SHIFT

If there is a change in:
 Time
 Tone
 Speaker
This should always be noted, as this will also affect
the meaning of the poem
T IS FOR TITLE (AGAIN)

At this time, reconsider the title:
 Were
you right in your predictions?
 What other meanings might the title have in light of
your analysis?
T IS FOR THEME
You already know what theme is – the general
insight into life conveyed by the author through
his or her work. It’s the big idea of the piece,
that we can apply to our own lives.
 Remember that one word does not create a
theme – Love, Sadness, Peace, etc…
 Write a theme statement – a sentence that
states an idea that is true to life and the human
condition.

NOW YOU HAVE AN ANALYSIS

With your TPCASTT completed you can provide
an analysis of the poem. This may take the
form of a paragraph, a discussion, answering
questions in class…