TPCASTT Template
TPCASTT: Poem Analysis Method: title, paraphrase, connotation, diction, attitude, tone, shift(s), title revisited
and theme
T
P
I think the Title of poem means:
The title implies that the speaker has something in her life worthy of pity, yet she insists
that she not receive any. The light of day suggests that this poem begins with the rising of
the sun. Perhaps the situation for which pity is being offered occurred during the night, and
the poem picks up at daybreak.
Paraphrase parts of the Poem
Do not try to console me because the sun no longer shines in the sky at the end of the day.
Do not feel bad for me because the beautiful wonders of the world pass and fade as a field
becomes a thicket throughout the year. Do not give me pity because the moon is fading or
that the dwindling tide is going out to sea and you no longer feel the same love for me. I
have always known that love is nothing more than a beautiful flower that the winds try to
attack or a magnificent tide that tramples the constantly moving shoreline, scattering
garbage the storm has collected: Instead, pity me because my heart will never learn what
my mind has known all along.
Connotation of some of the words—changing literal meaning to implied or associated values
C
The repetition of "pity me not" is used throughout the poem to show how the things the
speaker is describing are sad and worthy of pity. It draws attention to the sad mood of the
poem as everything the speaker describes is withering away or changing constantly. The
speaker compares love to a "blossom" (9) and a "great tide" (10) in a metaphor. This not
only combines the previous lines with the following as the speaker begins the shift, but it
also highlights the impermanence and ever shifting character of love. The speaker's word
choice transforms throughout the poem, In the beginning, she describes nature as "passed
away"(3), "waning" (5), and "ebbing" (6). As the poem progresses, her words become more
harsh and carry stronger connotations like "assails" (9) and "wreckage" (11). All of nature is
personified throughout the poem. However, the speaker does not use unusual
personification, but rather, makes it subtle. The movements given to nature are commonly
heard and therefore do not draw attention to themselves. This gives the speaker's words a
more lyrical movement and allows her to paint a picture for the reader without distracting
the reader from the intended purpose of the overall poem.
Attitude—What is the attitude of the author, characters, or yourself?
A
The speaker seems to see love as a natural disaster; something that will inevitably cause
pain through its changing ways and short stay. This gives the speaker an almost sad tone
and even implies that she may be disappointed with herself for always being willing to love
what she knows will leave her. This is emphasized in the last lines of the poem. However,
there is also a somewhat defiant attitude presented in the poem. The speaker refuses any
pity and repetitiously demands that she not be given any. But this defiance looses strength
at the end of the poem when she concedes and says "Pity me that the heart is slow to
learn what the swift mind beholds at ever turn" (12). This final reluctant surrender brings
back the sad or melancholy tone of the poem.
Shift—At first we think or feel one way—then there is a shift: identify the shifts and explain them
S
The shift in the poem occurs in line 8 and is a shift in subject. The speaker begins the
poem speaking of nature and the way that it dies and fades and disappears. In line 8, she
transitions to relate these observations to love and the way that love fades and leaves
open tears in the broken heart.
Title revisited—any new insights on meaning or significance of title.
T
The title is more of a metaphor for the way the author views love. She sees love as
impermanent and a sentiment that ultimately leads to heartache. The title is the
personification of this view in nature and also introduces the main repetition in the poem.
Theme or Author’s Purpose
T
The theme of this poem is that love fades; like everything in nature it doesn’t last and
cannot be held onto. The purpose for writing this poem is to remind herself that what her
heart feels and what her mind knows never seem to correlate, and her mind is usually
right. In this way, the poem is almost a warning to her and others about future loves.