How to Analyze a Poem:How to Analyze a Poem:

One Strategy: TP-CASTTOne Strategy: TP-CASTT

T: TitleT: 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 What do you think it means before you

read the poem?read the poem?

P: ParaphraseP: Paraphrase Put the poem into your own words. Put the poem into your own words.

Get the surface “meaning”: what is Get the surface “meaning”: what is the poem about?the poem about?• Write your paraphrase next to the poemWrite your paraphrase next to the poem• Highlight or underline words, phrases, Highlight or underline words, phrases,

images that stand out to youimages that stand out to you

C: ConnotationC: Connotation Consider what you highlighted/underlined. What effect do Consider what you highlighted/underlined. What effect do

these choices have on the reader?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)• Imagery Imagery • Symbolism Symbolism • 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?)

A: AttitudeA: Attitude What is the speaker’s attitude? What What is the speaker’s attitude? What

is the tone of the poem?is the tone of the poem? What is the author’s attitude/tone? What is the author’s attitude/tone?

Does it differ from the speaker?Does it differ from the speaker?

S: ShiftS: Shift Is there a shift or progression from one Is there a shift or progression from one

idea to another in the poem? Look for idea to another in the poem? Look for these possibilities: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 diction changes in diction

T: Title, againT: Title, again Consider the title again.Consider the title again.

• Has your interpretation of it changed Has your interpretation of it changed after reading the poem?after reading the poem?

T: ThemeT: Theme What is the poem saying? What What is the poem saying? What

message or idea is the author getting message or idea is the author getting across?across?