1. TIPCAST A Simple Way to Quickly and Carefully Assess a Poem

2. T itle Why was the title chosen? What clues does it provide to the theme or author’s intent? For instance, Robert Frost’s poem “Mending Wall”. What’s significant about this title, its syntax form, its relationship to the poem itself?

3. I magery Examine the author’s use of simile, metaphor – any and all elements of figurative language and imagery For instance, considering “Mending Wall,” what similes, metaphors, and imagery seem to make meaning beyond the literal description?

4. P araphrase State the meaning of the poem in your own words. Consider both denotation and connotation. Make sure you paraphrase literally and figuratively. Don’t skip language!

5. C onnotation What words carry the most emotional response? How is that emotion conveyed? Again considering “Mending Wall,” what is the connotation of the speaker’s use of the phrase “good fences make good neighbors” towards the end of the poem?

6. A udience Consider the complexity and nuance of the poem. Who is the poet or speaker trying to reach? How do you know? In “Mending Wall,” who appears to be the audience and why?

7. S hift Where does the poet move from literal to figurative? Examine versification and enjambment. How do those structural choices enhance or enlighten the shift? Could there be more than one shift?

8. T heme What is the underlying message the author is conveying? How do you know that? What are the language clues you can point to? What is the theme for “Mending Wall?”