TPCASTT 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
T – The poem will be about dreams. It will probably be about dreams as goals, but it could also be about dreams people have
while asleep.
PHold on tightly to dreams
Because if dreams die
Life is like an injured bird
That cannot fly.
Hold on tightly to dreams
Because when dreams are lost
Life is like a field with nothing in it
That is frozen with snow
CPersonification- dreams die, dreams go
Personifying dreams make the dreams seem important. Dreams dying makes it seem like a dream is lost is lost
forever.
Metaphor & Imagery- life is a broken winged bird, life is a barren field
Both of these metaphors have negative connotations. Losing a dream can have drastically negative results on life.
Point of View- The poem is in 2nd person. The speaker is talking directly to the reader.
End rhymes- die, fly and go, snow
Repetition- Hold fast to dreams
Alliteration- dreams die
These sound devices give the poem a dreamy and melancholic sound and mood.
AThe speaker- The speaker could be male or female, but s/he sounds wise, so h/she is probably an adult, someone who has
seen the negative effects of lost dreams.
The audience- The audience is general because everyone has and needs dreams.
The tone (attitude)- The speaker’s tone is cautionary (talking directly to the reader) and somewhat melancholy
SThis poem has only two sentences. There aren’t any shifts, but the poem does end abruptly with a strong image, a strong,
negative image.
TThe title is very indicative of what the poem will be about. The poem is about dreams and continuing to dream, and the title
represents that clearly.
TThe subject is the importance of dreams. The theme or message is “A life without dreams is empty.”