TP-CASTT Or TP-FASTT

TP-CASTT or TP-FASTT

Poetry is an art form which uses the brushstrokes of literary elements and devices to convey meaning throughout the piece. One of the primary reasons that students struggle with interpreting poetry is that they read the poem once, pick out a detail or two and then jump to a conclusion, which often leads to a misinterpretation of the poem. To assist you in interpreting poetry, use the TP-CASTT poetry analysis strategy as you would the scientific method in a science experiment. Be prepared to spend some time analyzing the text and know that great revelation may be discovered as you peel away the layers of the beauty of poetry!

TITLE – Examine the title before reading the poem. Ask questions about the title. Anticipate the meaning of the poem by interpreting the title.

PARAPHRASE – Summarize in one to three sentences what literally happens in the poem. Do not jump to interpretation during this phase of analysis! Identify characters, relationships, and action in the poem as you paraphrase.

CONNOTATION/FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE – Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal level. How does the figurative language affect meaning and/or mood (reader’s emotional response)?

Look for:

§  Imagery

§  Symbolism

§  Metaphor

§  Simile

§  Irony

§  Allusion

§  Diction

ATTITUDE – Identify who the speaker is in the poem. The speaker may be the poet or a fictional character created by the poet. Identify the subject/topic of the poem and how the speaker feels about it.

SHIFTS – Note shifts in tone, subject, speaker, situation, diction, attitudes, punctuation, and structure.

Look For:

§  Occasion of poem (time and place)

§  Stanza divisions

§  Key words (e.g. but, yet, although, for)

§  Irony

§  Punctuation

§  Changes in line and/or stanza length

§  Effect of structure in regards to meaning

TITLE – Examine the title AGAIN, this time on an interpretive level. Try and answer the questions you had when you looked at the title for the first time. Does revisiting the title confirm your predictions or add depth of meaning to the poem?

THEME – First list what the poem is about (subjects); then determine what the poet’s insight is about each of those subjects (theme). Remember, the theme must be expressed as a complete sentence. What is the poet communicating? What is the message?

TP-CASTT