TPCASTT Poetry
ANALYSIS Explanation
and assignment
Example poem: “Dreams” by
Langston Hughes
What is TPCASTT?
• TPCASTT is an acronym that students can use
to help analyze and understand the “puzzle”
of a poem. I suggest memorizing the acronym
so that it can be used on ANY test that
requires analysis of poetry.
TPCASTT stands for
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T- Title
P- Paraphrase
C- Connotation
A- Attitude
S- Shifts
T- Title
T- Theme
TPCASTT example poem
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
T-Title
• Examine the title before reading the poem.
Consider connotations of the title. Make
predictions about what the poem may be
about.
T- Example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• The title “Dreams” may
be about this speaker’s
hopes. It may be about
dreams that occur while
one sleeps. The words I
think of are: rest, hope,
goals, yearning, etc.
P-Paraphrase
• Translate the poem into your own words. You
could do this line by line(as I have done on the
next slide) or stanza by stanza.
P-Example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
Hold on tight to dreams
Because if dreams die
Life is like an injured bird
That cannot fly.
Hold on tight to dreams
Because when dreams are
lost
Life is like a field with
nothing in it
That is frozen with snow
C-Connotation
• Examine the poem for meaning beyond the
literal. Look for literary or poetic devices.
Annotate the poem or take notes. After
finding examples, answer the following
questions: “Are there any connections
between what the poet is saying and the
devices he/she chose to use?” and “What was
the purpose behind using those devices?
Connotation cont. Literary
devices
• Possible literary devices include:
1. symbolism, 2. simile or metaphor, 3. hyperbole
(figure of speech that uses exaggeration to
express) or understatement(language that makes
something seem less important than it really is)
4. allusion 5. oxymoron 6. irony or sarcasm 7.
imagery 8. point of view 9. paradox(situation or
statement that appears to be impossible or
contradictory but is actually true, either in fact or
figurative sense for example: “I who don’t know
the secret wrote the line”)
Connotation cont. Poetic devices
• Possible poetic devices include:
• 1. alliteration(repetition of consonant sounds at the
beginnings of nonrhyming words or syllables in neighboring
words for example: towering, trembling trees); 2.
consonance(repetition of consonant sounds at the ends of
nonrhyming words or stressed syllables for example: morning
in the barn);
3. assonance(repetition of same or similar vowel sounds for
example: dreaming of wheat fields) 4. rhyme; 5. rhyme
scheme (pattern of end rhyme for example: ABBA, ABABCC…)
C-Example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• Personification- dreams die,
dreams go; Metaphor- life is a
broken winged bird, life is a
barren field; Imagery- broken
winged bird that cannot fly,
barren field frozen with snow;
End rhymes- die, fly and go,
snow; Repetition- Hold fast to
dreams; Rhyme scheme- ABCB,
ADED(notice the rhyme scheme
matches what the poet wants of
us “to hold fast to dreams” which
is why he repeats it); Symbolismbroken-winged bird: person
wanting freedom, barren field:
opportunity, frozen/snow: death
A-Attitude
• Examine the speaker’s and poet’s attitude.
The speaker and poet may or may not be one
in same.
A-Example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• The author’s tone is
cautionary and somewhat
melancholy
• The speaker wants to
persevere
• There is a tone of warning
“if you don’t do this, then
this may occur in life”
• Authoritative/imperative/
gives advice
S-shifts
• Note shifts in tone or structure of the poem.
S-Example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• The poem has two full
sentences ending in
periods and stanzas are
broken up into short 3 to
5 word lines.
• Stanza 1: tonemelancholy, warning but
still hopeful
• Stanza 2: toneauthoritative and more
final(less hopeful)
T-title (2nd time)
• Examine the title again, this time on an
interpretive level.
T-Example(2nd time)
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged
bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• The title is very indicative of
what the poem will be
about. The poem is about
hopes, dreams and
continuing to dream, and
the title represents that
clearly. Life stops without
dreams.
T-theme
• List the subjects. Then look at your
paraphrase. From these, make a sentence
telling what point the poet is trying to get
across.
T-example
Dreams
Hold fast to dreams
For if dreams die
Life is a broken-winged bird
That cannot fly.
Hold fast to dreams
For when dreams go
Life is a barren field
Frozen with snow.
-Langston Hughes
• Plot: The author is telling
the audience to keep
dreaming because it makes
life better and essentially
makes life worth living
Subject(s):
Dreams/Dreaming, Life,
Value
Theme(s): Continuing to
dream will lead to a good
life OR Lack of dreaming, or
not having dreams, makes
life empty or worthless.