TPCASTT Template: The Snowman by Wallace Stevens
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 seems to be about a snowman and how it stands in a vast snowy landscape. It
may demonstrate the loneliness and harshness of winter.
Paraphrase parts of the Poem
One must understand winter
To truly understand the frost and boughs
Of the pine trees covered in snow
One must’ve felt the cold for a long time
To appreciate the ice covered junipers
And the rough spruces and the sparkle of the distant
January sun; and will not think about
the misery that can be heard in the wind
and in some leaves
The wind which is the sound of the Earth
Which is covered by this wind
That blows even in that bare land
For the listener in this snow,
He notices nothing
And adds nothing that isn’t there and sees that nothing exists
Connotation of some of the words—changing literal meaning to implied or associated values
C
Imagery: In the first stanza, words like “frost” (2) and “pine trees crusted”(3) give an
image of winter and show the beauty of a landscape. This continues with words like
“shagged with ice”(5), “rough” and “glitter”(6). These all show beauty of the scene. In the
remaining stanza words like “bare”(12) and “nothing” (13) give a barren image.
Diction: In the beginning of the poem, words like “behold” and “glitter” give a positive
image and a sense of beauty of a scene. Then words like “misery” (8), “bare” (11), and
“nothing” (13), there is a negative tone of loneliness.
Syntax: The poem is one long run-on sentence. This seems to show confusion or a long
train of thought.
Devices: Metaphor: There is a metaphor for a snowman. The snowman represents the
mindset of winter and is able to view the beauty of the land. The listener is unable to view
this beauty because of his personal biases.
Paradox: The last line of the poem “Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is” poses
a paradox with two conflicting viewpoints. The snowman sees beauty, while the listener
sees nothing.
A
Attitude—What is the attitude of the author, characters, or yourself?
The attitude of the speaker seems to be instructional. He seems to note the faults of
humans and wants them to change. The snowman in the poem is able to see the beauty of
a winter landscape, but the human can’t see the beauty because they think about their
discomfort in the cold.
Shift—At first we think or feel one way—then there is a shift: identify the shifts and explain them
S
There is a shift in line 7. The first two stanzas note the visual beauty of a winter
landscape. In line 7 beginning with “not to think”, there is a slight negative tone. The
sounds of a wintery landscape are noted and words like “misery” and “bare” are used.
However, since the speaker is noting that the snowman does not think of the negative
aspects of a wintery landscape, so the overall meaning of the stanza is positive.
The main shift occurs at line 13. There is a shift in perspective from the snowman to a
listener. From the perspective of the listener, the wintery landscape means nothing. The
shift is from positive to negative tone.
Title revisited—any new insights on meaning or significance of title.
T
“The Snowman” represents a mindset of winter. The snowman, unlike humans has a
different perspective of winter. It sees beauty and serenity. This differs from a human,
which is too preoccupied with the cold wind of winter.
Theme or Author’s Purpose
T
The author’s purpose was to note how humans are unable to see things from a different
perspective because of personal biases. They cannot view things without passing
judgment. Therefore, the snowman’s mindset of winter seems to be unattainable by man.