TP-CASTT Worksheet

Title: Before you read the work, look at the title. What do you think it means?

Paraphrase: Re-write the work in your own words. Look up any words you don't know, or anything that sounds familiar; it may be an allusion.

Connotation:

• Diction and symbolism
• Imagery
• Metaphors and similes

Attitude: What is the tone of the work?  How does the author feel about his or her topic?

Shifts: Is there a change in meter or rhyme?  A change in speaker or tone?

Title: What does the title say about the work? Does it label it, or add meaning?

Theme: What does this poem mean?  How does it relate to life in general, or your life specifically?