Poetry is one of the most expressive forms of literature. It can evoke emotions, set a mood, tell a story, or create a deeply and universally understood feeling in its readers. This makes expounding its elements, and understanding its rich meaning, comparisons, and symbols, even more important.
The TP-CASTT method of poetry analysis is a great way to teach students to dissect a poem and understand its parts. It helps students to uncover the deeper meanings within poems while giving them the confidence to be self-educators. TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis is an order of operations similar to PEMDAS for math. It asks students to list items in sequential order and answer questions based on their reading of the poem.
| T | TITLE |
The title sounds like the narrator is in the woods on a snowy night. Maybe it's Christmas time? |
|---|---|---|
| P | PARAPHRASE |
The narrator stops in the woods of a local villager. He thinks his horse might wonder why they’re stopping in the middle of nowhere, because it’s the darkest night of the year. The horse shakes his harness, as if he is confused. The only other sound is the wind and light snow falling. The narrator observes the beauty of the deep woods, and the peace and dreamlike calm they give him, but realizes he must move on because he still has more distance to go before he can rest. |
| C | CONNOTATION |
The narrator uses words such as “without a farmhouse”, “frozen lake”, “darkest evening”, “easy wind” and “downy flake” to create an image of his isolation in the middle of a winter night. He admires the beauty of the “lovely, dark and deep” woods but pulls himself away, noting that “sleep” or peace of mind, can’t happen quite yet. |
| A | ATTITUDE/TONE |
The narrator’s tone is gentle, contemplative, and calm as he discusses the cold winter night and his horse’s reaction until the shift, where he sounds resigned. |
| S | SHIFT |
The shift occurs when the narrator snaps out of his reverie and realizes that as nice as it might be to stay in the woods and admire their beauty, he needs to keep going. |
| T | TITLE |
The title is about a narrator stopping in the woods and admiring them on a dark winter’s night. He wants to stay in the woods, but he knows he has obligations to keep. |
| T | THEME |
The theme of the poem is the desire for peace of mind, which can be found in nature, but is often interrupted by the daily obligations of life. |
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Student Instructions
Perform a TPCASTT analysis of “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”. Remember that TPCASTT stands for Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shift, Title, Theme.