How to Analyze a Poem: TP-CASTT - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

How to Analyze a Poem: TP-CASTT

All that you need to know when it comes to reading a poem!Slide2

Title

Look at the title and make predictions about what the poem might be about.

What type of connotations or associations do you attach with the title?Slide3

Title

Think of

the title of a

book,

television show, song or movie that

has a revealing or important title.

Record at least one of these titles on a sheet of paper and place into bag of fun!

Draw a name from that bag and make predictions on what that work might be about. What does the title reveal? How does it setup reader?Slide4

Paraphrase

What is the difference between summarizing a text and paraphrasing a text?

Summarizing: recaps the main idea of a text. A summary is usually much shorter than an actual text.

Paraphrasing: reiterates all main points of a text in different words. A paraphrase is usually the same length as the original text.Slide5

Paraphrase

Read the following poem and provide a summary

Boa

Constrictor by

Shel

Silverstein

Oh

, I'm being eaten

By a boa constrictor,

A boa constrictor,

A boa constrictor,

I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,

And I don't like it--one bit.

Well, what do you know?

It's

nibblin

' my toe.

Oh, gee,

It's up to my knee.

Oh my,

It's up to my thigh.

Oh, fiddle,

It's up to my middle.

Oh, heck,

It's up to my neck.

Oh, dread,

It's

upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff

. . . Slide6

Paraphrase

Now paraphrase the poem…

Boa

Constrictor by

Shel

Silverstein

Oh

, I'm being eaten

By a boa constrictor,

A boa constrictor,

A boa constrictor,

I'm being eaten by a boa constrictor,

And I don't like it--one bit.

Well, what do you know?

It's

nibblin

' my toe.

Oh, gee,

It's up to my knee.

Oh my,

It's up to my thigh.

Oh, fiddle,

It's up to my middle.

Oh, heck,

It's up to my neck.

Oh, dread,

It's

upmmmmmmmmmmffffffffff

. . . Slide7

Connotation

Analyze the figurative language of the poem. What kinds of images or phrasing does the author use? What emotions or ideas to these images invoke?

You should find at least THREE of these moments. Explain the moment and then describe the feelings/images attached to this. Every moment should carry meaning.

Key ideas to analyze:

Rhythm: the metric pattern of poem

Melody: sound devices used in the poem

Imagery: figurative images createdSlide8

Connotation: Rhythm

The rhythm of a poem can be developed in many different ways, including:

Repetition: are words or phrases repeated frequently?

Line Length: are there shorter lines, longer lines, or does it vary?

Pauses: analyze the punctuation or the length of different ideas-how are you meant to read the poem?

Metric pattern-different patterns may invoke different ideas. A lack of a metric pattern or changes in a pattern may also add to the connotation.Slide9

Connotation: Rhythm

Analyzing the rhythm of a poem requires you to look at the metric patterns used in the poem. You will need to count the syllables of each line and determine the accents.

There are four common metric patterns you should know:

Iambic: unstressed, stressed

Trochaic: stressed, unstressed

Dactylic: stressed, unstressed, unstressed

Anapestic: unstressed, unstressed, stressedSlide10

Connotation: Rhythm

Identify the metric pattern of the following words and phrases:

The South will Rise again

(Iamb)

Hammer

(Trochee)

Understand

(Anapest)

Get a Life

(Dactyl)

Strawberry

(Dactyl)

Of Mice and Men

(Iamb)

Changeable

(Dactyl)

In the blink of an eye

(Anapest)Slide11

Connotation: Rhythm

In order to determine the overall rhythm of a poem, you will also need to analyze the feet per line

The most common metric patterns include:

1 foot: monometer

2 feet:

dimeter

3 feet:

trimeter

4 feet: tetrameter

5 feet: pentameter

6 feet: hexameterSlide12

Connoation: Rhythm

Read the following poem and identify its metric pattern

My

Papa's Waltz

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;

But I hung on like death:

Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans

Slid from the kitchen shelf;

My mother's countenance

Could not

unfrown

itself.

The hand that held my wrist

Was battered on one knuckle;

At every step you missed

My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head

With a palm caked hard by dirt,

Then waltzed me off to bed

Still clinging to your shirt

.

Iambic

trimeter

-the same as a waltz!Slide13

Connoation: Melody

The melody of a poem can be analyzed by looking at different sound devices that are being used. For example:

Rhyme: two words have same sound on their last accented vowel

Assonance: repetition of vowel sounds in words or syllables: o harp and altar, of the fury fused

Onomatopoeia: words that sound like their meaning: buzz,

boing

, hiss, meow

Alliteration: words beginning with the same consonant sound: in a summer season, where soft was sun

Tone Quality

Long vowels suggest slow movement; short ones hurry: make vs. mad

Liquid consonants invoke a sense of rush (

l,m,n,r

)

Mutes invoke a sense of slowness (

b,f,p,d,t,d,h,c,g,k

)

What kind of connotation might different melodies invoke?Slide14

Connotation

Analyze the connotation of the following poem:

O Captain! My Captain

! By Walt Whitman

O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;

The ship has

weather’d

every rack, the prize we sought is won;

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!

O

the bleeding drops of

red

,

Where

on the deck my Captain

lies,

Fallen

cold and dead

.

O

Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle

trills;

For

you bouquets and

ribbon’d

wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;

For

you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!

This arm beneath your

head

;

It is some dream that on the deck,

You’ve

fallen cold and dead

.

My

Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;

My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;

The ship is

anchor’d

safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;

From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult

, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with

mournful

tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.Slide15

Connotation: Imagery

There are two main categories of figurative language to look for: comparison and exaggeration

Comparison:

S

imile-

two unlike things compared using “like” or “as”

Ex. “That man looks like a bear

.”

Metaphor-

two unlike things directly compared

Ex. “The river snakes in coils on itself.”

Personification-

giving human qualities to things

Ex

. “The trees danced in the breeze.”

Apostrophe-

addressing some abstract object

Ex

. “O world! Tell me thy pain.”

Literary

Allusion- referring metaphorically to persons, places and things

from other literature

Ex

. “It was an odyssey through the tangles of metaphors.”Slide16

Connotation: Imagery

Examples of Exaggeration include:

Hyperbole- saying more than is true

Ex

. “He wore his fingers to the bone.”

Understatement-

saying less than is true

Ex

. “Losing his job meant he could sleep late.”

Irony-

saying the opposite of what is true

Ex

. “War is kind.”

Antithesis-

using contrast for effect

Ex

. “Deserts are dry; oceans are wet.”Slide17

Connotation: Imagery

Read the following poem and identify moments of imagery

Where the Sidewalk Ends by

Shel

Silverstein

There

is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends. Slide18

Attitude or Tone

Use your three moments of figurative language to help determine an overall tone of the poem. While each of these moments may invoke a different feeling, how can you combine them to identify an overall tone that describes the entire poem?

Remember that the tone of the poem is about the attitude of the author. This may be different than the characters or subjects in the poem itself!

Example tone words:

1. accusatory-charging of wrong doing

2. apathetic-indifferent due to lack of energy or concern

3. awe-solemn wonder

4. bitter-exhibiting strong animosity as a result of pain or grief

5. cynical-questions the basic sincerity and goodness of people

6. condescension; condescending-a feeling of superiority

7. callous-unfeeling, insensitive to feelings of others

8. contemplative-studying, thinking, reflecting on an issue

9. critical-finding fault

10. choleric-hot-tempered, easily angered

11. contemptuous-showing or feeling that something is worthless or lacks respect

12. caustic-intense use of sarcasm; stinging, biting

13. conventional-lacking spontaneity, originality, and individuality

14. disdainful-scornful

15. didactic-author attempts to educate or instruct the reader

16. derisive-ridiculing, mocking

17. earnest-intense, a sincere state of mindSlide19

Attitude or Tone

Read the following poem. Identify three moments of figurative language and develop a tone.

After Love

There

is no magic any more,

We meet as other people do,

You work no miracle for me

Nor I for you.

You were the wind and I the sea --

There is no splendor any more,

I have grown listless as the pool

Beside the shore.

But though the pool is safe from storm

And from the tide has found surcease,

It grows more bitter than the sea,

For all its peace.Slide20

Shifts

What major changes do you see in the poem?

When describing a shift, there always has to be a purpose or meaning behind it. Describe WHY you think the shift is there.

Look for shifts when you see:

stanzas, changes in line length, changes in metric patterns, break in rhyme scheme, key words, punctuation.

A shift could include a shift in:

Tone, setting, voice, perspective, ideaSlide21

Shifts

Review the poem “Where the Sidewalk Ends to identify shifts”

Where the Sidewalk Ends by

Shel

Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends

And before the street begins,

And there the grass grows soft and white,

And there the sun burns crimson bright,

And there the moon-bird rests from his flight

To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black

And the dark street winds and bends.

Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow

We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And watch where the chalk-white arrows go

To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,

And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,

For the children, they mark, and the children, they know

The place where the sidewalk ends. Slide22

Title (Again)

The first time you looked at the title, you were making predictions. Now that you have analyze the poem, this step requires you to provide reasoning for what significance you think the title has

Why was the poem titled what it was titled?

Look back at our previous poems and determine why each was given the title it was given.

Boa Constrictor

My Papa’s Waltz

My Captain! My Captain

Where the Sidewalk Ends

After LoveSlide23

Theme

All poem analysis ultimately comes down to this: what is the theme of the poem?

A theme is a universal lesson or message that can be taken from the poem. What is the author trying to say about the subject?

When analyzing a theme, attempt to find at least TWO different themes the poem could be discussing. Explain how that theme was developed in the poem.Slide24

Theme: Form

The theme is often linked to the poetic form of the poem as well

Different forms include:

BALLAD

: a song or song-like poem that tells a

story

LYRIC

: expresses emotions or thoughts rather than telling a

story

ODE

: a long lyrical poem on a serious

subject

ELEGY

: mourns a death that has already

occurred

SONNET

: a 14 line lyric poem that has one of several rhyme

schemes

Italian

/

Petrarchan

(

abbaabba

,

cdecde

)

Shakespearian/English

(

abab

,

cdcd

,

efef

,

gg

)Slide25

Theme

When analyzing theme, think about the purpose of the poem.

There are four major purposes:

Tell a story

Present a picture

Express an emotional experience

Reflect on lifeSlide26

Practicing TP-CASTT

Read the following poem and walk through the steps of TP-CASTT in its entirety!

“Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind” (page 287)

Blow

, blow, thou winter wind

Thou art not so unkind

As man's ingratitude;

Thy tooth is not so keen,

Because thou art not seen,

Although thy breath be rude.

Heigh

-ho! sing,

heigh

-ho! unto the green holly:

Most

freindship

if feigning, most loving mere folly:

Then

heigh

-ho, the holly!

This life is most jolly.

Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,

That does not bite so nigh

As benefits forgot:

Though thou the waters warp,

Thy sting is not so sharp

As a friend remembered not.

Heigh

-ho! sing,

heigh

-ho! unto the green holly:

Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:

Then

heigh

-ho, the holly!

This life is most jolly.

William

Shakespeare