Poetry Analysis—TP-CASTT
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TITLE
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PARAPHRASE
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CONNOTATION
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ATTITUDE
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SHIFTS
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TITLE
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THEME
Before you even read the poem or try to analyze it, speculate on what you think the poem
might be about based upon the title. Sometimes the title is straightforward, other times
authors will conceal meaning with or give clues in the title. Jot down what you think this
poem will be about.
Another thing not to overlook before doing a deeper analysis is the deeper meaning of the
poem—don’t jump to conclusions before understanding what is taking place in the poem. A
paraphrase is a direct re-wording of each line of the poem. Also helpful, especially for longer
poems, is a summary—but make sure you understand the difference between a paraphrase
and a summary. A paraphrase is a direct re-wording of all (or some) of the lines of a poem; a
summary is a re-wording of the main ideas of a poem, or an overview of what is happening in
the poem.
Although this term usually refers solely to the emotional overtones of word choice, for this
approach the term refers to any and all poetic devices, focusing on how such devices
contribute to the meaning, the effect, or both of a poem. You may consider the following:

imagery,

figures of speech (simile, metaphor, personification, symbolism, etc),

diction (the vocabulary and syntax, or order of words, in the poem),
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point of view, and
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sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhythm, and rhyme).
It is not necessary that you identify all the poetic devices within the poem. The ones you do
identify should be seen as a way of supporting the conclusions you are going to draw about
the poem.
Having examined the poem's devices and clues closely, you are now ready to explore the
multiple attitudes that may be present in the poem. Examination of diction, images, and
details suggests the speaker's attitude and contributes to understanding. Look at the following
list of words that might describe tone to help you: proud, audacious, silly, seductive, dreamy,
somber, sentimental, candid, mocking, frivolous, sarcastic, hollow, poignant, contemptuous,
detached, cold, joyful, apologetic, confused, humorous, zealous, bitter, giddy, restrained,
provocative, fanciful. Remember that usually the tone or attitude cannot be named with a
single word. Think complexity.
Rarely does a poem begin and end the poetic experience in the same place. As is true of most
us, the poet's understanding of an experience is a gradual realization, and the poem is a
reflection of that understanding or insight. Watch for the following keys to shifts:
• key words, (but, yet, however, although)
• punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis)
• stanza divisions
• changes in line or stanza length or both
• irony
• changes in sound that may indicate changes in meaning
• changes in diction
Now look at the title again, but this time on an interpretive level. What new insight
does the title provide in understanding the poem?
What is the poem saying about the human experience, motivation, or condition? What
subject or subjects does the poem address? What do you learn about those subjects?
What idea does the poet want you take away with you concerning these subjects?
Remember that the theme of any work of literature is stated in a complete sentence
Finally, evaluate the poem. How effective is the poet at getting his/her message across? What
meaning did the poem bring to you personally? Was something new or deep about the human
condition revealed to you.
Poetry Analysis—TP-CASTT
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TITLE
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PARAPHRASE
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CONNOTATION
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ATTITUDE
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SHIFTS
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TITLE
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THEME
NAME______________________________________
Finally, evaluate the poem. How effective is the poet at getting his/her message across? What
meaning did the poem bring to you personally? Was something new or deep about the human
condition revealed to you?
Poetry Analysis Assignment
You and a partner (or two, but no more than three in a group, please) will use the TP-CASTT
method of poetry analysis to analyze one of the poems about society and government in your
poetry packet.
Before reading and selecting your poem, examine each of the titles in the packet, and give your
best guess about the poem’s content based on the tile. Fill in the first row (“Title”) of your TPCASTT organizer for ALL of the poems.
Then, with your partner(s), read the poems (aloud or individually), and discuss which of the
poems interest you for further analysis.
Once you’ve selected the one poem you’re going to work on, take turns with each TP-CASTT
category, filling in the details and your thoughts about each item. Make sure you take notes
about what everyone says on your own worksheet. You will be handing in your individual
worksheets.
Once you’ve filled in your worksheets, you will be writing a group analysis of the poem based
on the worksheet. It is important that you include details from the poem (direct quotes or
paraphrases) to support your assertions about the poem. You will be given time in class to work
on this.
You will present as a partnership to the class, using your analysis. Below is the grading rubric
for the presentation/analysis:
3 (full credit)--The analysis addresses all elements represented by the acronym TP-CASTT offers
specific details, words and lines, to support conclusions. The writer demonstrates mastery of
sentence structure, diction, and organization, as well as spelling, grammar, and usage.
2—The analysis covers most of the elements of TPCASTT and offers supporting details and
specific examples from the poem to support many of the writer’s conclusions. What may be
lacking is the quantity or quality of the evidence provided; precision in choice of words; and/or
demonstrated mastery of one or more of the structural and/or mechanical aspects of
composition.
1—The analysis may not address all parts of the TP-CASTT or may demonstrate an inaccurate
or superficial analysis of the piece. Examples and evidence tend to be brief, sketchy, or
nonexistent. The writing offers few, if any insights into the poem and omits important features
or concepts found in the poem.