Making Sense of Poetry: TPCASTT
Part One: Begin by reading the poem in the left column. Then, use the prompts and questions in the right column to direct your analysis.
Connotation: figurative meaning
“Daily” – Naomi Shihab Nye
These shriveled seeds we plant,
4. The poem contains many images such as ____________,
corn kernel, dried bean,
poke into loosened soil,
____________, and ____________.
cover over with measured fingertips
These T-shirts we fold
into perfect white
5. These images are used to show _________________________
squares
These tortillas we slice and fry to crisp strips
___________________________________________________.
This rich egg scrambled in a gray clay bowl
This bed whose covers I straighten
smoothing edges till blue quilt fits brown blanket
6. What words are repeated often in the poem?
and nothing hangs out
This envelope I address
________________________________________________.
so the name balances like a cloud
in the center of the sky
This page I type and retype
7. Repetition helps give the poem a ____________________,
This table I dust till the scarred wood shines
This bundle of clothes I wash and hang and wash again
which helps express how busy the woman is in her daily life. It does
like flags we share, a country so close
no one needs to name it
this because __________________________________________.
The days are nouns: touch them
The hands are churches that worship the world
8. What is an example of metaphor in the poem?
UNDERLINE the images
____________________________________________________.
HIGHLIGHT or CIRCLE the similes, metaphors, or personification.
9. How does this metaphor reflect the format/style of the poem?
____________________________________________________.
Title: before reading
Title: after reading
1. The words “daily” make me think of / feel
9. After reading, my opinion of the title has/has not changed
___________________________________________
because ____________________________________
___________________________________________.
___________________________________________.
Paraphrase: literal meaning
2. Read the poem.
Theme: central idea or insight about life
3. In the poem, the woman is mostly ________________________;
10. I think the theme of the poem is _______________________
some of the things she has to do are _____________, ___________,
______________________________________________________
and _________________.
because________________________________________________.
Part Two: Poem Analysis Summary
The theme of the poem is __________________________________________________________________. This theme is illustrated
through the lines ______________________________________________and ______________________________________________.
After reading this poem, I think I can better understand my own family/life because ___________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________.