1. A guide on how to analyze poetry
TPCAST
A guide on how to analyze poetry

2. Title Analyze the title (this will be done again later) Ask yourself
“What do I think this poem will be about based on its title?”
“What does this title mean?”
First, think about the denotation of the words.
Then, think about the connotations of the words.

3. Before you move to the next step, now is the time to READ THE POEM
Before you move to the next step, now is the time to READ THE POEM! This is the most important part of the process.

4. Paraphrase
To paraphrase something means to put it into your own words. This is not the same as a summary.
In this step, you will rewrite the poem in your own words.
Use the literal meaning
Be sure you understand what is happening in the poem before you even begin to try to understand it!

5. Connotation
Connotation is the emotion or feeling associated with a piece of writing.
In this part of the analysis, you are looking for the deeper meaning of the poem – or the meaning beyond the literal (figurative).
It is not necessary to recognize all poetic devices, but the more that you find and analyze the more that you will understand the meaning of the poem.

6. Analyze the following poetic devices:
Diction (what words did the author choose to use that swayed the meaning of the poem?)
Imagery (how did the poet describe the subject?)
Point of View (who is the speaker in the poem?)
All figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, symbolism, and hyperbole)
Allusion
Sound devices (onomatopoeia, alliteration, rhythm, rhyme, etc.)
Other devices (irony, sarcasm, understatement, pun, etc.)

7. Attitude
In this step, you are looking for the tone of the author or speaker of the poem. The tone is the poet’s attitude toward the subject of the poem.
You also want to be aware of the mood that the poem sets for the reader. The mood is how the author intends the reader to feel.
One can find this by examining the diction of the poem and the imagery that was created by the poet (all of this was done in the last step).

8. Shifts
In this step, we are identifying changes in various parts of the poem.
Tone (is there a shift in attitude?)
Key Words (but, yet, however, although, etc.)
Punctuation (period, dashes, colons, ellipses)
Setting (is there a change in time or location?)
Speaker (does the speaker change?)
Stanza divisions (could a change in stanza indicate something important – a change?)
Line length (is there an obvious change in line length?)

9. Theme
Now you are to analyze the overall meaning of the poem to how it relates to the human experience, motivation, or condition.
First, list the subject(s) or abstract idea(s) discussed in the poem
Then, consider what you’ve learned about these subjects
Consider also the general insight into life conveyed by the author.
Remember that a theme does not make a judgment
“Don’t do drugs” is not a theme
A theme merely states something that is true to the human life or condition

10. TPCASTT
Title
Paraphrase
Connotation
Attitude
Shifts
Theme