TP-CASTT

1. TP-CASTT A Tool for Analyzing Poetry

2. Discuss • A story is like a walk through a house. You get to see the porch, every room in the house, a tour with descriptions of everything in it, all the events going on, meet all the people, and then go out the back door. A poem, however, is like walking by the house and looking through a window, so you only see a moment of an event, a glimpse into that life, without seeing the whole picture.

3. TP-CASTT Title Paraphrase Connotation Attitude Shifts Title Theme

4. Title • Ponder the title before reading the poem • speculate on what you think the poem might be about based upon the title. • Often time authors conceal meaning in the title and give clues in the title. • If the title is numbered or simply the first line of the poem, skip this step.

5. Paraphrase • Translate the poem into your own words. (word for word!) • Don’t overlook the literal meaning of the poem. • Look at the number of lines in the poem, your paraphrase should have exactly the same number.

6. Connotation • Look for figurative language/poetic devices and how they contribute to the overall meaning of the poem. • This include but are not limited to: • Simile • Metaphor • Personification • Diction • Point of view • Alliteration • Rhyme • Meter

7. Attitude • Observe both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude (tone). • Examination of word choice, images, and details suggests how the speaker feels about the topic and contributes to the overall understanding of the poem. • Tone/Attitude cannot be named with a single word—think complexly!

8. Shifts • Note shifts in topic, speakers, and tone • Rarely does a poem begin and end the poetic experience in the same place. As is true of most us, the poet's understanding of an experience is a gradual realization, and the poem is a reflection of that understanding or insight. • Watch for the following keys to shifts: • Key words (but, yet, however, although) • Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis) • Stanza divisions • Changes in line or stanza length • Irony • Changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning • Changes in diction

9. Title • Examine the title again. • What new insight does the title provide in understanding the poem? • How and why?

10. Theme • What is the poem saying about the human experience, motivation, or condition? • What subject or subjects does the poem address? • What do you learn about those subjects? • What idea does the poet want you take away with you concerning these subjects? • Remember that the theme of any work of literature is stated in a complete sentence.