T P C A S T T POETRY ANALYSIS
TITLE Evaluate the title of the poem before reading it. Are there any references or allusions in the title? Explain them if there are any. Predict what the poem will be about.
Example: “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe Title: Annabel Lee is the name of a girl. It is an old fashioned name so the setting is probably in the past.
PARAPHRASE Rewrite the poem in your own words. Speak as the persona; in the same point of view. “ I love thee with all my heart.” Don’t write – He loved her. Better – I love you with all my heart.
Paraphrase: What does it say in your own words? It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know By the name of ANNABEL LEE; And this maiden she lived with no other thought Than to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child, In this kingdom by the sea; But we loved with a love that was more than love- I and my Annabel Lee; With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven Coveted her and me. A long time ago in the kingdom by the sea there was a girl who lived to love me and be loved in return. We were just kids, but the word love can’t even adequately describe all we felt for each other. Even the angels in Heaven who love God thought our love was more perfect.
CONNOTATION Discuss the meaning of the poem. Use poetic language to evaluate the poem. How do these devices bring meaning to the poem? (look for personification, metaphor, simile, onomatopoeia, repetition, rhyme scheme, rhythm, etc.)
Connotation: The rhyme and meter are very sing-song, like a child poem might be. He uses alliteration with many, many and also repetition. The connotation of a kingdom by the sea is a fairy tale setting, perfect. Winged angels of heaven symbolizes perfection and peace. ‘I was a child and she was a child’ shows repetition, emphasizing they were young and innocent, and ‘loved with a love that was more than love’ emphasizes what they had was even greater than what the word normally means.
ATTITUDE What is the tone or mood of the poem?
Attitude: The tone is of heartbeak, sorrow, and determination never to forget and stay together even in death.
SHIFT Where does the poem attitude or subject of the poem change? What signals the change? Remember Sonnet 30 – Poet kept Thinking sad thoughts of the past, dwelling On mistakes and dead loved ones, but when he thinks of his friend, all is well.
Shift: The poem is full of love in stanzas one and two. In the third stanza the angels made a wind that chilled and killed Annabel Lee and the attitude shifted to darkness and unhappiness. There is another shift in stanza 5 when he focuses on how much he loves her again and he is determined never to leave her.
TITLE AGAIN Does the title have different meaning or is it clearer? What is the significance of the title?
THEME What is the central message of the poem? How is it a “timeless” message? What is the subject? How does the author feel about the subject? A theme is a sentence. “Our choices define us.” “Helping others gives us purpose.”
Format “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe Title The title is the name of a woman. The poem will probably… Paraphrase A long time ago in a kingdom located near the sea… Connotation The poet uses rhyme and meter in sing-song way to show the innocence and simple beauty of… …
GRADING – DUE April 29 b the TPCASTT will be graded on a point system based on the criteria for each slide. b T-10 Title – Pre-reading meaning b P-10 Paraphrase – Put in own words, watch pov b C-20 Connotation – Discuss meaning and poetic dev. b A-10 Attitude – What is tone/mood b S-10 Shift – Where does attitude change, what »Signals the change b T-10 Title – what is the significance and meaning b T-20 Theme – What is central message/timeless b The final 10 points are for following the correct format.