Example poem: “Dreams” by Langston Hughes

TPCASTT is an acronym that students can use to help analyze and understand the “puzzle” of a poem.

I suggest memorizing the acronym so that it can be used on ANY test that requires analysis of poetry.

T- Title

P- Paraphrase

C- Connotation

A- Attitude

S- Shifts

T- Title

T- Theme

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

Examine the title before reading the poem. Consider connotations of the title.

Make predictions about what the poem may be about.

Write down your predictions.

You will reflect on the title again after reading the poem.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

The title “Dreams” may be about this speaker’s hopes.

It may be about dreams that occur while one sleeps.

The words I think of are: rest, hope, goals, yearning, etc.

Paraphrasing is putting something in your own words.

Translate the poem into your own words. You could do this line by line(as I have done on the next slide) or stanza by stanza depending on the length of the poem.

1. Hold on tight to dreams

2. Because if dreams die

3. Life is like an injured

bird

4. That cannot fly.

5. Hold on tight to dreams

6. Because when dreams

are lost

7. Life is like a field with

nothing in it

8. That is frozen with

snow

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

1. Examine the poem for meaning beyond the literal.

2. Look for poetic devices. Annotate the poem or take notes.

3. After finding examples, answer the following questions:

“Are there any connections between what the poet is saying and the devices he/she chose to use?” and

“What was the purpose behind using those devices?

Possible devices include:

1. Alliteration, Consonance, Assonance

2. Simile or Metaphor

3. Hyperbole

4. Repetition

5. Allusion

6. Oxymoron

7. Imagery

The five senses

8. Point of view

9. Rhyme or Rhyme Scheme

Remember, these are only suggestions. Use your poetic

devices handout to search for other fitting devices.

Personification- dreams die, dreams go

Metaphor- life is a broken winged bird, life is a barren field

Imagery- broken winged bird that cannot fly, barren field frozen with snow

End rhymes- die, fly and go, snow

Repetition- Hold fast to dreams

Rhyme scheme- ABCB, ADED(notice the rhyme scheme matches what the poet wants of us “to hold fast to dreams” which is why he repeats it)

Symbolism- broken-winged bird: person wanting freedom, barren field: opportunity, frozen/snow: death

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

Examine the speaker’s and poet’s attitude towards the theme or topic.

The speaker and poet may or may not be one in same.

The author’s tone is cautionary and somewhat melancholy

The speaker wants to persevere

There is a tone of warning“if you don’t do this, then this may occur in life”

Authoritative / imperative / gives advice

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

Note shifts in tone or structure of the poem.

Is there a sudden change in the attitude of the speaker?

The poem has two full sentences ending in periods and stanzas are broken up into short 3 to 5 word lines.

Stanza 1: tone-melancholy, warning but still hopeful

Stanza 2: tone-authoritative and more final(less hopeful)

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level.

Use what you have observed from your analysis of the connotation, attitude, and shifts.

The title is very indicative of what the poem will be about. The poem is about hopes, dreams and continuing to dream, and the title represents that clearly. Life stops without dreams.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes

List the subjects. Then look at your paraphrase. From these, make a sentence telling what point the poet is trying to get across.

Plot: The author is telling the audience to keep dreaming because it makes life better and essentially makes life worth living

Subject(s):Dreams/Dreaming, Life, Value

Theme(s):

Continuing to dream will lead to a good life

Lack of dreaming, or not having dreams, makes life empty or worthless.

Dreams

Hold fast to dreamsFor if dreams dieLife is a broken-winged birdThat cannot fly.

Hold fast to dreamsFor when dreams goLife is a barren fieldFrozen with snow.

-Langston Hughes