Activity Overview
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.
Women by Alice Walker TPCASTT
| T | TITLE |
The title makes the poem sound like it might be about women. Maybe women in general? Women who made a difference in life? |
|---|---|---|
| P | PARAPHRASE |
The poem focuses on the narrator’s mother’s generation who were fierce and brave as they knocked down obstacles in order for their children to go to school. They probably wanted their children to have more opportunities than they did. |
| C | CONNOTATION |
The narrator uses words that make the women sound like warriors: “...with fists as a well as hands / How they battered down doors”... “How they led armies / Headragged generals across mined fields / Booby-trapped ditches.” |
| A | ATTITUDE/TONE |
The narrator’s tone is filled with admiration, determination, and awe of these women from the beginning of the poem. At the end, it softens as the women’s mission is made clear: to make sure their children are educated, even when they themselves were not. |
| S | SHIFT |
The shift in the poem appears near the end when the narrator moves from warrior and military imagery to the reason why they are fighting: schools for their children. |
| T | TITLE |
The title is about the women of the narrator’s mother’s generation, who made sacrifices and fought so that their children could go to school. |
| T | THEME |
The theme of the poem is that mothers will find bravery in their mission to make a better life for their children, and that education is worth fighting for. |
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TPCASTT analysis of "Women". Remember that TPCASTT stands for Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shift, Title, Theme.
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Choose any combination of scenes, characters, items, and text to represent each letter of TPCASTT.
- Write a few sentences describing the importance or meaning of the images.
- Finalize images, edit, and proofread your work.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | Needs Improvement | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPCASTT Responses | Every part of TPCASTT was thoroughly answered and there was sufficient evidence from the text. | Most parts of TPCASTT was answered with sufficient evidence to support claims. | Less than half of TPCASTT was answered and/or responses had insufficient evidence from the text. | Examples and descriptions are missing or too minimal to score. |
| Depictions | Depictions chosen for each section are accurate to the poem and reflect time, effort, thought, and care with regard to placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for each section are mostly accurate to the poem. They reflect time and effort put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Depictions chosen for each section are inaccurate to the poem. The depictions may be rushed or show minimal effort, time, and care put into placement and creation of the scenes. | Most depictions are missing too many elements or are too minimal to score. Little time or effort has been put into placement and creation of the scenes. |
| English Conventions | There are no errors in spelling, grammar, or mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions reflect careful proofreading and accuracy to the poem. | There are a few errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. All writing portions show accuracy to the poem and some proofreading. | There are several errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics throughout the storyboard. Most writing portions do not reflect proofreading or accuracy to the poem. | Errors in spelling, grammar, and mechanics in writing portions of the storyboard seriously interfere with communication. |
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