1. How to Analyze a Poem: One Strategy: TP-CASTT

2. T: Title Consider the title. Consider the title. What ideas/images does it evoke?What ideas/images does it evoke? What do you think it means before you read the poem?What do you think it means before you read the poem?

3. P: Paraphrase Put the poem into your own words. Get the surface “meaning”: what is the poem about? Put the poem into your own words. Get the surface “meaning”: what is the poem about? Write your paraphrase next to the poemWrite your paraphrase next to the poem Highlight or underline words, phrases, images that stand out to youHighlight or underline words, phrases, images that stand out to you

4. C: Connotation Consider what you highlighted/underlined. What effect do these choices have on the reader? Consider what you highlighted/underlined. What effect do these choices have on the reader? Look for: Look for: Sound devices (alliteration, rhyming pattern, etc.)Sound devices (alliteration, rhyming pattern, etc.) Point of viewPoint of view Language choices (diction)Language choices (diction) Connotation (emotional meaning of words)Connotation (emotional meaning of words) Figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification)Figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification) ImageryImagery SymbolismSymbolism IronyIrony Allusions (historical, classical, biblical, cultural, etc.)Allusions (historical, classical, biblical, cultural, etc.) Comparisons / contrastsComparisons / contrasts Repetition, patternsRepetition, patterns Structure (how is it organized?)Structure (how is it organized?)

5. A: Attitude What is the speaker’s attitude? What is the tone of the poem? What is the speaker’s attitude? What is the tone of the poem? What is the author’s attitude/tone? Does it differ from the speaker? What is the author’s attitude/tone? Does it differ from the speaker?

6. S: Shift Is there a shift or progression from one idea to another in the poem? Look for these possibilities: Is there a shift or progression from one idea to another in the poem? Look for these possibilities: shifts in speakers and in attitudes/toneshifts in speakers and in attitudes/tone key words (but, yet, however, although)key words (but, yet, however, although) punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis)punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis) stanza divisionsstanza divisions changes in line or stanza length or bothchanges in line or stanza length or both irony (sometimes irony hides shifts)irony (sometimes irony hides shifts) changes in dictionchanges in diction

7. T: Title, again Consider the title again. Consider the title again. Has your interpretation of it changed after reading the poem?Has your interpretation of it changed after reading the poem?

8. T: Theme What is the poem saying? What message or idea is the author getting across? What is the poem saying? What message or idea is the author getting across?