How do you determine the theme of
a poem?
Casey at the Bat
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the
Mudville nine that day…
In this lesson, you will learn how to
determine the theme of a poem by
seeing how characters respond to
challenges.
Let’s Review
A character’s actions show a character’s traits.
Casey ignored the
pitch.
Confident
Let’s Review
The mood of characters can change during the poem.
Crowd feels hopeless their team is losing!
Crowd feels hopeful
- Casey is up to bat!
A Common Mistake
Plot/Action
Characters &
Traits
Mood
Beginning,
Middle, End
= Theme
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
Theme is the poet’s message to the reader.
Overcoming a challenge
Casey
The Fans
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
“Casey at the Bat”
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to six with just an inning left to play;
And so, when Cooney died at first, and Burrows did the same,
A sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.
A straggling few got up to go, leaving there the rest
With that hope that springs eternal within the human breast;
For they thought if only Casey could get one whack, at that
They'd put up even money, with Casey at the bat.
Mudville is losing. If Casey
can bat, he will surely get
a hit to win the game – he
must! He is their only
hope.
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
“Casey at the Bat”
by Ernest Lawrence Thayer
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.
…
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew,
But Casey still ignored it; and the umpire said, "Strike two."
How did Casey respond to
this challenge?
Casey doesn’t
swing at the first 2
pitches. He feels
too confident
about himself.
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched
with hate;
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
How did Casey respond to
this challenge?
He was angry, but
it was too late to
start trying. He
struck out!
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
Casey doesn’t
swing at the first 2
pitches. He feels
too confident
about himself.
He was angry, but
it was too late to
start trying. He
struck out!
Too much selfconfidence can lead
to disappointment
and trouble.
Core
CoreLesson
Lesson
1
Find parts where a character faced a challenge.
2
Ask yourself, “How does the character respond?”
3
Look at how the character responded to determine
a lesson/theme.
In this lesson, you have learned how to
determine the theme of a poem by
seeing how characters respond to
challenges.
Guided Practice
Read the parts below where the crowd faces a challenge. How
do they respond? Find some more parts that show the crowd
responding to challenges.
For they thought if only Casey could get one whack, at that
They'd put up even money, with Casey at the bat.
…
“Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted some one in the stand.
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.
Extension Activities
Pick a poem of your choice.
Find parts where a character faced a challenge.
How did he/she respond?
Look at the responses to determine an overall message
or theme.
Extension Activities
The last stanza is a famous one. How do you think the
poet feels about baseball, about fans, or about baseball
heroes?
Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.
Quick
QuickQuiz
Quiz
Reread the poem, “Casey at the Bat”. What theme or lessons
can you draw from the way the crowd behaves?
But Casey still ignored it; and the umpire said, "Strike two."
"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and the echo answered,
"Fraud!"
But the scornful look from Casey, and the audience was awed;