Poetry Explication

Using SOAPSTONE Speaker – a poet or teacher Occasion – student or class being taught a poem Audience – students or someone trying to understand a poem Purpose – to explain how a poem should be read versus how some try to read it Subject – poetry explication Tone – frustrated or disappointed

Using TP-FASTT Title: Introduction to Poetry – introducing how to approach a poem AND introducing this poem Paraphrase: Explaining how a poem should be treated versus how some/many treat one Figurative Devices: “ask…say” shifts to “I want” “but they want” shows a disappointment and disagreement between advice and desires and actual actions. “hold it to the light…press an ear…drop a mouse…watch him probe…walk…feel” shifts to “waterski…waving” and shifts to “tie… to chair with rope and torture” and “beating it with a hose”

Using TP-FASTT cont’d Attitude: frustrated or disappointed or disgusted Shifts: (see figurative devices) Title: seems like “welcome to poetry” as if a teacher is going to try one more time, despite no one ever listening Theme: If you will treat a poem as if it is full of wonder you will discover it’s beauty/meaning; don’t treat it as a hostile criminal holding back information.