TPCASTT

To teach our students poetry analysis, we are using the acronym TPCASTT:

• Title: Predict what the poem will be about by analyzing the title.
• Paraphrase: After reading the poem, paraphrase what it is about by putting it into your own words. Who is the speaker?
• Connotation: Look beyond the literal language and assign additional meaning by focusing on figurative language
• Attitude: Identify the tone of the poem. Does the author's attitude mirror the speaker's attitude?
• Shift: Look for transitions within the piece that occur in tone, setting, etc. When do they occur? Why do they occur? What is the effect?
• Title: Revisit the title to determine further meaning.
• Theme: What is the overall message? Identify literal and abstract ideas.

To help drive this practice home, we analyzed "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes with our classes. We went through the poem using TPCASTT and used the smart board to annotated it. I love poetry, and I was impressed with how this activity made meaning more accessible to these young readers. They really got into it!

"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’s had tacks in it,

And splinters,

And boards torn up,

And places with no carpet on the floor—

Bare.

But all the time

I’se been a-climbin’ on,

And reachin’ landin’s,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So boy, don’t you turn back.

Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.

Don’t you fall now—

For I’se still goin’, honey,

I’se still climbin’,

And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.