TPCASTT Poetry Analysis

Poetry Analysis and TPCASTT

Poetry is potentially the most expressive forms of literature. It evokes emotions, sets a moods, tell a stories, and creates deep and deep and universal feelings in its readers. However, this same quality makes poetry more difficult to parse than prose, and can be frustrating to unpracticed students.

Teaching students to look at a poem with an order of operation in mind gives them a framework to start their analysis. TPCASTT stands for title, paraphrase, connotation, attitude/tone, shift, title, theme. This method is great to start students reading and inferring with little assistance from the instructor. TPCASTT poetry analysis reinforces key themes and ensures that students grasp the important concepts of each poem. Use some or all of the activities in this teaching guide to get your students excited about poetry!

Our Recommended TPCASTT Lesson Plan

This lesson will overview the TPCASTT system of interpreting poetry and provide students a system of hypothesis and discovery. This will help students to engage with the subtleties of poetry, beyond the face of the text.

Grade Level: 3-12

Standards

Although this lesson can be used in many grade levels, the Common Core State Standards for grades 9-10 are listed below. Please see your Common Core State Standards for the correct grade appropriate strands.

• ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
• ELA-Literacy.RL.7.1: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
• ELA-Literacy.RL.8.1: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
• ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.2: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text

Time: Two 45-Minute Class Meetings

Lesson Specific Essential Questions

1. How do great writers create a mood that a reader can feel through their work?
2. What are the parts of a poem and how can we learn to analyze its meaning?
3. What is the importance of the title of a poem?
4. How do literary elements affect a reader's understanding of a work of literature?

Objectives

Students will be able to read and explain the elements within a poem using the TPCASTT method of operation for poetry analysis.

Before Reading

Before reading, it is a good idea to introduce students to the steps of TPCASTT, and to go over any terms that may be new to them.

During Reading

It is crucial for students to focus on listening to the poem read out loud before getting into the TPCASTT. We recommend that students read it silently to themselves, then listen to it read aloud by the teacher or using multimedia. After students have read it twice, ask them what they caught or what changed the second time they heard/read it? Be careful not to get into a large class discussion, it might detract from the activity.

After Reading

If this is your first time doing TPCASTT with your classes, I suggest you allow for cooperative learning. Have students in pairs or groups complete the analysis together. If this is not their first-time, challenge them by asking that they do it individually; the teacher can always decide to do a "think, pair, share" after if necessary.

Once they have finished their worksheet, and it has been checked, students can begin to create their storyboard explaining what they came up with for ideas. Afterward you can have students present their storyboards and findings to the class! Just check out our article on how to present a storyboard!

If you do not have computer access, go right into sharing and class discussion.

TPCASTT Template Examples

Related Activities

Check out these TP-CASST activities from our guides on "The Raven", "Jabberwocky", and "On Being Brought from Africa to America".

Frequently Asked Questions about TPCASTT Poetry Analysis

What is TPCASTT poetry analysis?

TPCASTT is an acronym for a method of poetry analysis that stands for Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shift, Title (again), and Theme. It is a structured approach that helps students analyze and understand the meaning and themes of a poem.

Why is TPCASTT poetry analysis important?

TPCASTT poetry analysis is important because it provides students with a step-by-step method to analyze a poem. It helps students identify and interpret the key elements of a poem, such as a title, the author's attitude and tone, and the theme. By breaking down a poem into these components, students can gain a better understanding of the poem and its meaning.

How does TPCASTT poetry analysis work?

The TPCASTT method works by having students follow a set of steps to analyze a poem. First, students examine the title of the poem and make predictions about what the poem will be about. Then, they paraphrase the poem in their own words to gain a better understanding of its meaning. After that, students analyze the connotations of words in the poem and the author's attitude and tone. Next, they look for any shifts in the poem and identify their significance. Finally, students revisit the title of the poem to see if it has any new meanings and determine the overall theme.