TP-CASTTA Tool for Analyzing Poetry

DiscussA story is like a walk through a house.

You get to see the porch, every room in the house, a tour with descriptions of everything in it, all the events going on, meet all the people, and then go out the back door. A poem, however, is like walking by the house and looking through a window, so you only see a moment of an event, a glimpse into that life, without seeing the whole picture.

TP-CASTT

Title

Paraphrase

Connotation

Attitude

Shifts

Title

Theme

TitlePonder the title before reading

the poemspeculate on what you think the

poem might be about based upon the title.

Often time authors conceal meaning in the title and give clues in the title.

If the title is numbered or simply the first line of the poem, skip this step.

ParaphraseTranslate the poem into your

own words. (word for word!) Don’t overlook the literal

meaning of the poem. Look at the number of lines in the

poem, your paraphrase should have exactly the same number.

ConnotationLook for figurative language/poetic

devices and how they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem.

This include but are not limited to: ◦Simile◦Metaphor◦Personification◦Diction◦Point of view◦Alliteration◦Rhyme◦Meter

AttitudeObserve both the speaker’s and

the poet’s attitude (tone). Examination of word choice,

images, and details suggests how the speaker feels about the topic and contributes to the overall understanding of the poem.

Tone/Attitude cannot be named with a single word—think complexly!

ShiftsNote shifts in topic, speakers, and toneRarely does a poem begin and end the poetic

experience in the same place. As is true of most us, the poet's understanding of an experience is a gradual realization, and the poem is a reflection of that understanding or insight.

Watch for the following keys to shifts:◦ Key words (but, yet, however, although)◦ Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis)◦ Stanza divisions◦ Changes in line or stanza length ◦ Irony◦ Changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning◦ Changes in diction

TitleExamine the title again. What new insight does the title

provide in understanding the poem?

How and why?

ThemeWhat is the poem saying about the human

experience, motivation, or condition? What subject or subjects does the poem

address? What do you learn about those subjects?What idea does the poet want you take

away with you concerning these subjects?Remember that the theme of any work of

literature is stated in a complete sentence.