P oetry A nalysis U sing TP-CASTT Eighth Grade Language Arts

What is TP-CASTT? TP-CASTT is an acronym. Each letter represents a step for completing a thorough analysis of a poem. Using TP-CASTT will help you organize your analysis of poetry.

T is for TITLE Analyze the title first. What do you predict this poem will be about? Write down your predictions. We will reflect on the title again after we have read the poem. The next step is often omitted, but it is the most important!!!!

READ THE POEM!!!!

P is for PARAPHRASE Paraphrasing is putting something in your own words. After reading the poem, rewrite it in your own words. This may be three sentences or a page, depending on the particular poem.

C is for CONNOTATION Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal. Analyze the figures of speech and sound effects of the poem. These are the poetry vocabulary we have already studied. These elements add to the meaning.

A is for ATTITUDE Tone is the attitude of the speaker toward the subject of the poem.

S is for SHIFT If there is a change in… –Time –Tone (Attitude) –Speaker Look for key words (but, yet, however, although), punctuation (dashes, periods, colons), stanza divisions, changes in diction. These should always be noted as they will also affect the meaning.

T is for TITLE (again) Now, you should reconsider the title (this time on an interpretive level). Were you right in your predictions? What other meanings might the title have in light of your analysis? Next, the biggie….

T is for THEME As you already know, theme is the general insight into life conveyed by the author through his/her work. Example: Violence begets violence. It merely states something that is true to life and the human condition.

How do I find the THEME ? Look at the other parts of TP-CASTT. What insight are all of these working together to convey? What is the poet trying to say about life? Remember that theme is stated as a complete sentence.

Applying TP-CASTT Now, we will practice using TP-CASTT to analyze the poem, “Moco Limping”. Remember: Step one is to examine the title. Based on the title alone, what do you think the poem will be about? My thoughts: “Moco? Who’s Moco? I’ve never heard that name before. I am, of course, assuming it’s a name. Perhaps, this poem is about a person named Moco who walks with a bad limp.”

Your Turn: Complete the TP-CASTT steps for the poem. Place this on the back of the handout provided. “The Forecast” by Dan Jaffe Perhaps our age has driven us indoors. We sprawl in the semi-darkness, dreaming sometimes Of a vague world spinning in the wind. But we have snapped our locks, pulled down our shades, Taken all precautions. We shall not be disturbed. If the earth shakes, it will be on a screen; And if the prairie wind spills down our streets And covers us with leaves, the weatherman will tell us.

Closure Make sure you record a minimum of seven H.O.T. questions. Then, create a summary for your notes on using TP-CASTT.