1. TP-CASTT
Poetry Analysis

2. TITLE
Ponder (think about) what you think the poems is about just from reading the title

3. PARAPHRASE
Read the poem and put it in your own words. What was the poem about?

4. CONNOTATION
Look for examples of figurative language and the deeper meaning of the poem. For example, simile, metaphor, alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia, assonance, consonance, repetition, parallel structure, tone, feelings, etc.

5. ATTITUDE
Determine the author’s and the speaker’s attitudes. (Comical, angry, regretful, sad, happy, determined, etc.

6. SHIFT(S)
Locate the shift or shifts in the poem. This is where the attitude or action changes. For example, maybe someone dies, or a balloon bursts, or a baker drops a wedding cake he’s just finished, etc.

7. TITLE 2
Look at the title again and evaluate its true meaning. Does it mean something on an interpretive level?

8. THEME
What is the universal meaning of the poem? What does the author want you to realize about life?