Poetry Analysis Using TP-CASTT Adapted from an original Powerpoint by Christy Roberts and Allen Edwards

Getting Started… This is a process to help you organize your analysis of poetry.

You will write these directly on the printed copy of your poem!

T is for TITLE Analyze the title first: Write down your predictions. 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.

READ THE POEM!!!! AT LEAST THREE TIMES!

P is for PARAPHRASE Paraphrasing is putting something in your own words. After reading the poem, rewrite it in your own words. Look at each individual SENTENCE and try to put what it says into your own words. This may be three sentences or a page, depending on the particular poem.

C is for CONNOTATION See the list of terms provided Some common sound terms: Alliteration, assonance, consonance, end rhyme, internal rhyme, diction Some common figurative language: Personification, metaphor, simile, synecdoche, hyperbole, symbolism, imagery, understatement, irony, paradox Some common syntax devices: Asyndeton, polysyndeton, parallelism, periodic sentence Analyze the figures of speech and sound elements of the poem. How do these elements add to the meaning?—Do not just list them; think about why the author USED them.

A is for ATTITUDE Tone is the attitude of the speaker toward the subject of the poem. What is the tone of this poem? Remember, you have a list of tone words to use!

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. Check your poem for shift.

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? If you still have no clue as to what the title means, reread the poem because you are missing something big.

T is for THEME As you already know, theme is the general insight into life conveyed by the author through his/her work. It does not make a judgment. Ex. “Don’t do drugs” is not a theme; it is a moral. It merely states something true to life and the human condition.

How do I find the THEME? Look at the other parts of TPCASTT. What connections do you notice between these lit elements? What insight are all of these working together to convey? Ask yourself: What is the poet trying to say about life? Think about topics discussed in the poem. What is the author saying about those topics?

Review: TP-CASTT Make predictions based on the Title Paraphrase the poem Determine Connotation by searching for literary terms Analyze the speaker’s Attitude to determine the tone of the poem Search for Shifts in time, tone, and speaker Analyze the Title again in light of you reading the poem. Determine the Theme of the poem based on your readings and the other steps of TP-CASTT.