TPCASTT A method of analyzing poetry T Title
- Slides: 8
TPCASTT A method of analyzing poetry
T - Title • The first step is to make a prediction as to what the title of the poem means. • Make connections to what you know about the title • You don’t have to be “right”
P - Paraphrase • Put the poem in your own words • Line by line, or stanza by stanza • This helps you to understand the surface level meaning of the poem
C - Connotation • Now look into the deeper meaning of the poem by looking for all of those figurative language tools • Imagery • Diction • Symbolism • End rhyme or internal rhyme • Enjambment – when a sentence or phrase continues it’s thought over • • two lines Alliteration Consonance Mood Personification
A - Attitude • This is the tone of the speaker of the poem. • Remember, the speaker is like the narrator • What are some exceptional emotional words we can come up with?
S - Shift • Shift is a change in tone, action, or rhythm • Write a few sentences as to how the change affects the poem’s meaning • Poets use shift to show transition, to show a difference in meaning, or to show importance
T – Title (again) • Now that you’ve read the poem a few times, go back and write about the title • What does the title mean in relation to the poem? • Reevaluate your prediction from before reading
T - Theme • Theme in poetry is the same as theme in prose • What is the poet trying to say? • What does the poem mean? • What is the universal truth about humanity and the human condition?
