1. Analysis of Theme
Unit 4, Day 4

2. Today: Goals How do we make meaning of Poetry? Focus Questions
Read, reread, question, and think about poems for deeper meaning and analysis
How do we make meaning of Poetry?

3. What is a theme when it comes to Poetry?
Subject: the topic of the poem, or what the poem is about
Motif: meaningful repeated elements in the poem
Theme: theme is an idea that the poem expresses about the subject or uses the subject to explore
Example: Edgar Allan Poe poem “The Raven,” the subject is the raven, who continually repeats a single word in response to the speaker’s questions. An example from the poem “The Raven” is the repeated word “nevermore.” The theme of the poem, however, is the irreversibility of death -- the speaker asks the raven, in a variety of ways, whether or not he will see his dead beloved again, to which the raven always replies “nevermore.”

4. How do we determine theme?
The theme of a poem may be stated explicitly, but more often it is implicit, and must be determined by a close reading.
So we use TSP-FASTT (similar to TP-CAST)

5. T
Title S
Speaker and Subject P
Paraphrase F
Figures of speech A
Attitude
Shifts
Theme

6. Title
What is your first impression of the poem based solely on the title?
What do you think this poem will be about?
If there is not a title or the poem is numbered, use the first line.

7. What are they speaking about? To whom are they speaking to?
Speaker and Subject
Who is speaking?
What are they speaking about?
To whom are they speaking to?

8. Paraphrase Read the poem first at least once.
Then, without interpretation or analysis, rewrite each sentence of the poem in your own words.
How would you say what the poet is saying?
Paraphrase by sentence rather than by line in order to understand the original meaning.
Maintain both the person and tense of the original.
It’s acceptable to leave simple sentences as they are – don’t make the paraphrase more complicated just for the sake of change.

9. Figures of Speech What are the literary devices used in the poem?
For each one that you list, give an example or line number where it may be found.
Don’t forget to include the form if the poem has one.

10. Attitude
What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of the poem?
Think adjectives, emotion words.
A list will work here.
It’s ok if some of the words on your list seem contradictory.

11. Shifts What are the major shifts or changes you see in the poem?
These could be shifts in structure, tone or subject.
Give a line number and explain what has changed.
Be sure to include those dictated by the constraints of the form.

12. Title Reflect on what you wrote in the first title box.
Were you on track?
If not, was it a mistaken first impression on your part, or do you think the poet was intentionally misleading you?

13. Theme What are the lessons the poet intends the reader to take away?
Give at least two.
Each of these should be a full sentence.
Consider how you relate to the poem, and what it might be saying overall.

14. Remember:
These are just tools you can use to help you understand poetry
In real life, no you don’t have to whip out TSPFASTT
And once you get better at analyzing poetry, hopefully you will be thinking about these things without a graphic organizer!

15. Analyzing for Theme- Teacher Model
Mentor For Robert Francis Had I known, only known when I lived so near, I'd have gone, gladly gone foregoing my fear of the wholly grown and the nearly great. But I learned alone, so I learned too late. —Timothy Murphy
Analyzing for Theme- Teacher Model

16. Mentor For Robert Francis Had I known, only known when I lived so near, I'd have gone, gladly gone foregoing my fear of the wholly grown and the nearly great. But I learned alone, so I learned too late. —Timothy Murphy
Murphy wrote this poem for a specific
Person… I wonder who this guy was
“Had I only known” I can totally relate
Wow, there are only two sentences in
this poem.
“Foregoing” is an interesting wc
I wonder what the “wholly grown and nearly great” is referring to?
Learning alone=learning too late. The speaker didn’t learn something in time.

17. Preview and Select There are a bunch of poems on your desk.
Read each poem once to “try it on,” then make a selection of “your” poem.

18. Assignment:
Read your chosen poem a second or third time, annotating with multiple readings (more than just * ! ? now).
When annotating, look for parts, phrases, words, or sentences that reveal something they think is important.
Remember: you can these lines and write your thoughts about them poem onto the paper, as well as ask questions about the text.
Complete side one of your TSP-FASTT poem.
Finish for homework