 Read the poem (duh)  Ignore the end of the line  Punctuation, obey it.  Connect repeated words/images/ideas  Underline problematic vocabulary  Read the poem again  Look for shifts in tone/point of view/setting

 By now you should have a pretty good idea as to what you think the poem is about. Don’t forget to look at the title and format for additional cues.

“But your way has no snappy acronym or graphic organizer” you say. R.I.P.C.U.R.L isn’t good enough? OK, then try what the pros recommend…

Not much of an improvement in the acronym department, I know. TPCASTT, however terrible the condensed version sounds, is one of the most widely used methods to dissect poetry. Here’s how it works..

 T itlePonder the title before reading the poem  P araphraseTranslate the poem into your own words  C onnotationContemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal  A ttitudeObserve both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude (tone)  S hiftsNote shifts in speaker and in attitudes  T itleExamine the title again, this time on an interpretive level  T hemeDetermine what the poet is saying

 Speaker: Who is the speaker of the poem? What do you know about him or her?  Occasion: What is the occasion of the poem? What is the event that prompts the speaker to speak?  Audience: To whom is the speaker speaking? What do you know about him or her?  Purpose: What is the purpose of the poem? Why do you think the poet wrote the poem?  Subject: What is the subject of the poem? (This is a different from "what is the topic of the poem?")  tone: What is the tone of the poem? What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of the poem?  Theme: What is the theme of the poem? What is the poet pointing out about people, society, or life? State the theme succinctly.

But, I still need more help. Poems are still little blobs of words in another language!

 Look for:  Punctuation  Indentations  Common words, images  Rhyme scheme  Shifts in speaker/point of view  Imagery

 Re-read difficult sections  Re-read, ignoring line breaks so it sounds natural  Re-read the beginning and ending to detect structure (cyclical, progressive, chronological, spatial)

TPCASTT SOAPStone + theme R.i.P.C.U.R.L or Ms. G’s steps

And figure out which strategy or hybrid of strategy works best for you. Use one of the three strategies on each of the following poems: “On His Blindness” “The Journey of the Magi” “Sound and Sense”

 Re-read and analyze “Snow White and the Seven Deadly Sins” using your favorite strategy. Be ready for discussion with textual evidence.