Creative and Critical Thinking
ASSIGNMENT 6: Analyzing Poetry
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Learning Target (Curricular Competencies):
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Task:
Poetry is a compact language that expresses complex feelings. To understand the multiple meanings of a poem, readers must examine its words and phrasing from the perspectives of rhythm, sound, images, obvious meaning, and implied meaning. There are many ways to do this. Here is just one strategy...called TPCASTT (it's an acronym).
Title – Ponder the title before reading the poem.
- What do you think the poem will be about?
- Can you relate to any personal experience or knowledge?
- What inferences or predictions can you make about the meaning of the poem?
- Now, read the poem and pay attention to the poet’s use of poetic devices
Paraphrase – Translate the poem into your own words.
- You do not need to paraphrase every line.
Connotation – Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal.
- Are there words that have emotional meanings?
- What connections are made to emotions?
Attitude – Observe both the speaker’s and the poet’s attitude (tone).
- How does the speaker feel about the subject he is discussing?
- How do you think the poet feels about the subject he/she has chosen to write about?
- How do you know?
Shifts – Note shifts in speaker and in attitudes.
- Are there places or specific words that demonstrate a shift in thought, tone, opinion, etc?
- Why do you think, first of all, there is a shift? And second, why is it located where it is?
Title – Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level.
- Were your predictions close to what you believe now?
- What do you believe is the significance of the title now?
Theme – Determine what the poet is saying.
- What IS the main idea? You must write this as a complete sentence.
You can review this strategy by viewing the following example on "Janet Waking" by John Crowe Ransom.
Here is a wiki-how for another way to analyze poetry.
Assignment:
Select a poem from the book "Breathing Fire: Canada's New Poets". Write a TPCASTT analysis for one of the poems. You can do this in point format. Be sure to provide the text of the poem, itself. There are good examples from Michael Crummey, Tim Bowling, and Suzanne Buffam.
OR you can select your own. Here is a list of Canadian poets.
Assessment: Below you will find the exemplary criteria used to assess the assignment.
Learning Target: (Exemplary 6/6): Exemplary comprehension of the task and clear accomplishment of the objective. Students demonstrates critical, creative and reflective thought to explore ideas within, between and beyond the text. Ideas generated are thoughtful and unique.
Written Expression: Exemplary (6/6): Sentence structure and vocabulary are varied, skillfully written, and carefully chosen. Work has been proofread and there are few or no errors in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. Content contributes to the central idea and makes insightful connections with logical organization.
Submission:
Use the "1.6 Analyzing Poetry" link on the main page of this section of the course to upload your assignment to your teacher for marking.