1. A method of analyzing poetry
TPCASTT
A method of analyzing poetry

2. T - Title
The first step is to make a prediction as to what the title of the poem means.
Make connections to what you know about the title
You don’t have to be “right”

3. P - Paraphrase Put the poem in your own words
Line by line, or stanza by stanza
This helps you to understand the surface level meaning of the poem

4. C - Connotation
Now look into the deeper meaning of the poem of the poem by looking for all of those figurative language tools
Imagery
Diction
Symbolism
End rhyme or internal rhyme
Enjambment – when a sentence or phrase continues it’s thought over two lines
Alliteration
Consonance
Mood
Personification

5. A - Attitude This is the tone of the speaker of the poem.
Remember, the speaker is like the narrator
What are some exceptional emotional words we can come up with?

6. S - Shift Shift is a change in tone, action, or rhythm
Write a few sentences as to how the change affects the poem’s meaning
Poets use shift to show transition, to show a difference in meaning, or to show importance

7. T – Title (again)
Now that you’ve read the poem a few times, go back and write about the title
What does the title mean in relation to the poem?
Reevaluate your prediction from before reading

8. T - Theme Theme in poetry is the same as theme in prose
What is the poet trying to say?
What does the poem mean?
What is the universal truth about humanity and the human condition?