Introduction to TPCASTT
PLEASE PULL OUT A PIECE OF PAPER
TPCASTT Chart
Poem: “Time”
Title
Paraphrase
Connotation
Attitude
Shift
Title
Theme
Poet: Valerie Bloom
“Time” by Valerie Bloom
Time’s a bird, which leaves its footprints
At the corners of your eyes,
Time’s a jockey, racing horses,
The sun and moon across the skies.
Time’s a thief, stealing your beauty,
Leaving you with tears and sighs,
But you waste time trying to catch him,
Time’s a bird, and Time just flies.
T=Title
 What does the title mean literally?
In other words, prior to actually
analyzing the poem, what does the
title tell you in a literal sense?
Title
 “Time” = A measurable period in
which an action, process, or
condition exists or continues.
Paraphrase
 After reading the poem, state the poem in your own
words, looking at each part one at a time.
 Take this part first -
“Time’s a bird, which leaves its footprints
At the corners of your eyes”
Paraphrase
 State the poem in your own words, AND state
commentary about any connections you make.
“Time’s a bird, which leaves its footprints
At the corners of your eyes”
-> The passage of time can be
shown or represented by
the wrinkles that it leaves at the
corner of your eyes.
This reminds me of crow’s feet.
Paraphrase (Continued)
 Continue to state the poem in your own words, going
on to each part.
“Time’s a jockey, racing horses,
The sun and moon across the skies.”
Paraphrase (Continued)
 State the poem in your own words.
“Time’s a jockey, racing horses,
The sun and moon across the skies.”
->Time can be represented by the transition of the sun
to the moon, back to the sun. Time is like a race, it
passes quickly.
Paraphrase (Continue)
Time’s a thief, stealing your beauty,
Leaving you with tears and sighs,
But you waste time trying to catch him,
Time’s a bird, and Time just flies.
 With a partner, practice paraphrasing the last 4
lines, taking two lines at a time. Write down what
you both find.
Connotation
 What does the poem mean beyond the literal? Go
through the poem and find words that hold a
meaning alternate to the meaning assigned to it in
the poem. Look for specific figurative language
elements, such as simile, metaphor, personification,
etc.
Connotation
 What does the poem mean beyond the literal? Go
through the poem and find words that hold a
meaning alternate to the meaning assigned to it in
the poem.

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footprint
racing
sun and moon
stealing
beauty
flies
Connotation
 Identify any figurative language or figures of speech
used by the poet.
Here are two examples. Now find your own and record
on your paper.
 Metaphor: “Time’s a bird…of your eyes”
 Personification: “Time’s a thief, stealing your beauty”
Attitude
 What are the feelings expressed by the poet (Tone)?
 What feelings does it arouse in you, the reader?
(Mood)
 What emotions did the poet want to awaken?
 Discuss with
your partner
what the
poet’s
attitude in the poem might be.
Shift
 What changes in attitude occur in the poem?
 Where does the shift in thought arrive?
There should be a break, when the speaker ends one
manner of speech, changes point of view, or pauses
to consider something other than the subject. This is
known as the shift, referring to the shift in
thought. That place is generally the turning point
of the poem, and it's important to understand
where and why the shift occurred in your poem.
Shift
 With your partner, discuss when and where the shift
may be in the poem.
 Write down the lines of the poem that mark the shift,
quoting them, and then explain how the poet’s
attitude changes.
Title
 Now that you have read the poem several times, what
does the title mean beyond its literal meaning?
->Time: A measurable period in which an action or
process occurs.
->What else is “Time”? What does it mean for our
lives?
Theme
 What is the poem saying about life, society or people
in general? Theme is the “big idea” being expressed
throughout the poem. It’s the major message.
 In the section marked “theme”, write a paragraph
that expresses what you think the theme is.