TP-CASTT Poetry Analysis

Presentations Thursday/Friday 9/27 and 9/28

You and a partner will analyze a social justice poem/song of your choosing, together,
using the TP-CASTT framework. Poems ​can be from this folder​ or your choice with approval
from Ms. Sena-Calvillo.
After analyzing the poem, you will create a 1-3 minute presentation about your analysis
conclusions of the poem. This presentation does not need to include all elements of the
TP-CASTT analysis but should highlight the most important aspects and conclusions of your
analysis to answer one of the prompts.

Use this document to analyze your poem and prepare for your presentation.

T-Title predictions
Poem Title Your prediction and explanation (2-5 sentences)

Cage Bird The caged bird it relates to caged bird by maya angelou. The cage
is like society and the bird is a person, like a person feeling trapped
in society.

P-Paraphrasing
Paraphrase the poem below, line by line. Paraphrasing is rewriting the line in your own
words to establish meaning for you. Sometimes, the line is straightforward and you don’t have to
write a new line.
Poem Paraphrasing

yeah , caged bird Feeling trapped again

Something like a caged bird Something that feels like your trapped

Caged bird In imprisoned

Yeah, look Observe what happens

You ain't a man till you stop chasing your You don't mature until you follow yourself
friends, my n**** and not your friends.
Think for yourself, make your own plans, my My your own decisions be you nobody else
n****

I'll be lying if I said I ain't understand, my I would be dishonest if I told you I wasn’t
n**** confused

Cause who you gon' follow when the leaders What's gonna happen when you have no one
all get swallowed to follow

By reefer clouds and bottles By smoking out of bottles and blowing

clouds

In and out of county jail Multiple mistakes

This is hell, see the young black males in Those of color are being locked up
packed cells

With they heads down Looking down in sorrow

And they fists clenched tight Taking their anger out by clenching their fist

Thinking "I could bust a hole through this wall Thinking to escape

And b**** I just might" Maybe just having enough anger to do so

It's just like the caged bird I sing a song Nothing else to do but sing a song of feeling
trapped

Hoping they open up these bars and send a Having hope that one day they will be free to
n**** home go home

I cry when I'm alone Only being able to open up when alone

I'm wondering why would God send me here Wondering why god would do this to me

Knowing that they hate us Knowing that we are hated on

Knowing that they make us feel like we evil Others Making us feel bad and hurting our
so we kill our people kind
Without a second thought, in every lesson Those that had lived before us and suffered
taught by OGs we learn from them

We full of real n**** wisdom, so we proceed We are smart in out way being who we are we
continue

Like real n****s who been stripped of our Like one of our own who have been naked
humanity from our humanity

I see the judge's eyes, I know that he ain't The judge isn't understanding because he
understanding me doesn't know what it feels like to be different

A caged bird (Yeah, a caged bird) Yeah the Feeling of being trapped

(Let this little caged bird sing) Caged bird Let them sing just how the birds chips

Yeah, caged bird Yup trapped just like a bird in a cage

Freedom's just an illusion, that's my In my understanding freedom is just a

conclusion misconception

And if it ain't, then how my n****s keep on If it isn't true then why is all my friends losing
losin' theirs? their freedom

This goes out to childhood friends that's doin' This is dedicated to my close friend thats in
years prison

Prison tats on they backs like souvenirs Prisoners getting tattoos like a souvenir from
prison.

We wish that you was here We hope you were here

A mother's tear spilled on this page Mothers crying because of what their children
have to go through

A brother's tear spilled on this page Brothers crying because of their siblings have
to go through

How many days left? Counting the days till freedom

And can you find peace when you released People won’t see you the same after you've
been in prison
Still filled up wit' rage They still hold a grudge

Back on the streets just to peep that you still in Let out, but people will treat you like a
the cage criminal like you never left prison

Well, it's the oratory vet Being careful, practicing how to formally talk
to others

Turned down king slash poet laureate Turned down the king of britain

Used to paint a picture with a story of neglect Pictures always tell a story and the story that
used to be painted had neglect into it

I could've been a shorty drinking 40s on the I could’ve been living life drinking alcohol
steps

With a shorty on my lap With a nice girl on my lap

With a shorty on the way coming shortly to With a girl coming to protect
protect

I could've been a dealer in the party with the X Could've been a dealer

But I'm hardly in the mix and I partially But Not really into that type of things I come
confes out and confess

I definitely got a couple parts in me that I Yes There are things in me I am not proud of
regret

Is the cup half-empty or is it half-full? Which is it, is the cup half full or half empty

I fill mine up with Hennessy, then get back to I have mine full of henny then get back to him
him

I’m just a jazz musician trapped in rap form I'm a jazz musician trapped in rap type

You think you standing for something you on Thinking you stand for something that is good
a trap door but you are just blinded and standing in a trap

Well its the, Mr. Introspective It's people that they think they can
characterize
I’m a dreamers dream, a sort of an inception I am the dream a dreamer is in like a
foundation

I never fiend for the scene but I dreamed of I've never looked for the scene but ive dreamt
the things of the things

That a Mercedes brings, like slow s** with The mercedes brings like slow things from
fast women fast people

Drinking cognac I’m past grinning Drinking reminds me of the past

A sexy dress, fat a** in it And there is a sexy dress with a nice booty in
it

But still hit it till I’m half-winded Still smoke until im half winded

Cause n****s tell me I’m the shit Because I get told Im all that

Well I be hitting all these dimes I'm hitting all these limes

See I’m caged by the visions of the blind I'm still trapped because of those who have
been told things that they believe which blind
them with false information

I started as a king I started off feeling good and living good

Turned to a slave I got turned into a slave because of who I am

and what ive done

Put us in our chains Put my people in our chains

We was forced to entertain We were forced to amuse others

Thinking bout the present day I’m living off In the present day, i'm living off the stage
the stage

Wonder if a n**** ever get up out of this cage I wonder if anyone of us could ever get out of
this cage e call society

As I sing As I call out

A caged bird (Yeah, a caged bird) A trapped man

(Let this little caged bird sing) Caged bird Lets sing this baged bird song, a man that is
trapped for others entertainment

Yeah, caged bird Yes a caged bird

Freedom’s just an illusion, that’s my The thought of being free is just a delusion
conclusion and I will end with that

And if it ain’t, then how my n***** losin’ And it is not then why is my friend losing
theirs? their freedom

This goes out to childhood friends that’s doin’ And this goes out to my close friend thats in
years prision

Prison tats on they backs like souvenirs Prisoners have tattoos on their back to show
where they came from because they aren't
perfect

We wish the you was here We desire you and hope for you to be here

A mother’s tears spilled on this page A mother has cried because of this

A brother’s tears spilled on this page A brother has cried because of this

How many days left? Counting the days till freedom

And you can find peace when you released You can find peace when released

Still filled up wit’ rage Still full of anger

Back on the streets just too peep that you still Just let out to having people see you as the
in the cage bad guy its like you never left prison

C-Connotation
Identify 5-10 words from this poem that have Denotative and Connotative meanings.
Type the word in the first column, followed by it’s Denotative and connotative meanings.
Word Denotative Meaning Connotative Meaning

Laureate person who is honored with having special difference or

an award for outstanding recognition in a field
creative or intellectual
achievement

Oratory the art or practice of formal Practicing on talking in public

speaking in public.

Caged confined in a cage Trapped by somebody

 Chasing pursue in order to catch or Investigation
catch up with

Grinning smiling broadly. Someone dirty dancing;

adding pressure on your teeth
when in contact, a person in
pain

Now explain why the author decided to use some of these terms. 4-10 sentences.
Consider the ​Diction slides​ and some of these questions:
● Do these words have significant cultural/historical meaning?
● Is there a common idea/theme in these words?
● If the author used the denotative meaning of these words, how would that change
the meaning of the poem?
● Do these words reveal anything about the author’s background/culture/ideologies?
The diction he uses is colloquial.

These words used in the poem has a lot of connections with those of color get blamed for and
have always gotten stereotyped in. There is a constant theme that surrounds the words Caged
bird. You could tell that the author has many connections to these events, and has had family
and friends in those situations growing up being of color.

A-Attitude/Tone
A ​list of attitude/tone words can be found here.

How does the author’s diction choices affect the overall attitude/tone of the poem? ​Choose
2-3 examples from the poem. 5-8 sentences.
Passionate/Straightforward This song that we chose has an overall attitude of passion. The
artist really believes in what he is speaking about and has people that he knows that have
 experienced this first hand. He is straightforward and doesn’t want to sugarcoat things.
Sugarcoating things doesn’t solve the problem it goes around it.

S-Shifts in attitude/tone
Note any patterns by answering the following questions.
Question Answer (if yes, explain)

Are there any visual gaps or spacing changes No not really because it’s song lyrics not a
in the poem? poem that has stanzas.

Is there a line or word that is repeated? How There is a line that is repeated. It’s “Yeah
often? caged bird” It’s repeated five times
throughout the song.

Is there a change in the topic(s) discussed? There is

Does the author change who they are talking The artist doesn’t change the audience he is
to/their audience? talking to throughout the song.

Now,​ using this list of tone words​, ​describe the tone shifts of the piece with examples
from the text​. Honors: ​Discuss the tonal shifts' impact on the overall meaning of the poem.
First, describe the initial, or first, the tone of the piece with an example. Then, describe the next
tone shift with an example. 2-10 sentences total.
The overall song has the tone

T-Title inferences on a deeper level

Now spend some time researching your title and writing a more in-depth interpretation of
that title. Answer the questions below to help with your interpretation.

Title of your poem Caged Bird

Author/Artist J. Cole

Author/Artist background J. Cole was born in Germany and raised in North Carolina. His
father is African-American and his mother is full german
 When was this poem The song was published/released in the year 2015.
written/published?

What historical events ISIS Terrorists Strike on three continents

were happening at the
time?

What are some

connotative
interpretations the poem’s
title/topic?

Respond to this prompt: ​Considering all of the elements of the title, discuss your
interpretation of the deeper meaning of the title. ​4-8 sentences.
The title is Caged Bird, well usually when a bird is caged people see them as
entertainment because of the noises it makes. Birds are seen as entertainment because of
the noises they make society makes people feel like they are used for Amuse only. Aswell
Society changes who those of color are and it makes them feel trapped and they are
always seen as one thing. or example being a criminal in prison after being let out people
with still see you the same there's no escape mostly when you are of color.

T-Theme
Finally, find the theme of your poem. Remember, a theme can be applied to different
poems, stories, etc. It is also a full sentence. For examples of themes, ​look here​. Answer the
prompt below:

What is the theme of your poem? Use 2-3 pieces of evidence to back your claim. 5-10 sentences.
The poems theme is the Evil of racism. just because of how someone looks it defines who
they will be. It also is how they wil be seen as after one mistake.

Prepare for your presentation

Be sure your presentation meets the following guidelines:
● 1-3 minutes long
● If you have a slideshow or other visual aid, make sure it’s not distracting
● Censor racial slurs (ex: n*****, or n-word)
● Use notecards to present your argument
● You are welcome to include short, 15 second videos of lines of your poem being recited.
No more than 3 videos total

Consider the one of following questions to help guide your conclusions:

● After analyzing the poem using 1 aspect of TP-CASTT, what new
realizations/conclusions do you have about the poem?
● What message/theme from the poem is relevant to our student population?
● Does the poem use figurative language in a way that reveals the author/artist’s
life/reality/ideologies? How so?
● Is there anything new you learned through 1 aspect of this analyzing process that you
think is worth sharing with the class?

Structure your speech according to the outline below:

I. Introduction
A. Introduce your poem (title, author, year published, summary)
B. Thesis Statement (answer 1 of the questions above)
II. Transition word and Topic Sentence
A. 1 part of TP-CASTT
B. Relate to thesis
III. Transition word and Topic Sentence
A. 1 part of TP-CASTT
B. Relate to thesis
IV. Transition word and conclusion sentence
A. Summarize paragraph II in 1-2 sentences
B. Summarize paragraph III in 1-2 sentences
V. “Thank you”

TP-CASTT Presentation Rubric

 4 3 2 1

Analyze Analyzes explicit and Analyzes explicit Accurately Summarizes details

Evidence inferred and inferred summarizes details from the text and
themes/central ideas themes/central ideas from domestic or begins to make
in domestic in domestic or international text(s) inferences about the
and international international text(s) or media and uses theme/central idea in
text(s) and media; or media; analyzes them to make a text; understanding
analyzes varying different inferences of the text’s
dimensions dimensions of the about the theme/central idea is
of the text(s) to text. theme/central idea in primarily literal.
develop a complex the text;
understanding of the understanding of the
text(s). text’s theme/central
idea is
one-dimensional

Synthesize Synthesizes and Presents relevant Presents relevant Restates details from
Evidence presents the most evidence that evidence that the text that are
important and provides strong supports analysis of relevant to the
thorough evidence support for analysis text(s). purpose.
that supports analysis of text(s).
of text(s).

Analyze Analyzes the impact Analyzes the impact Describes one Makes note of a
Author’s Craft and significance of of the author’s important choice specific word choice
the author’s choices choices on meaning of the author (e.g., and its impact on
for meaning and tone; and tone, including language, style) and meaning or tone.
interprets the author’s style or use of its impact on meaning
choices, including language; discusses or tone; makes note
development, their connection to of a connection to the
structure, style or author’s cultural author’s cultural
distinctive use of context, audience, or context, audience, or
language, and purpose. purpose.
explains how they
reflect the author’s
cultural context,
audience, or purpose.

Develop an Develops a clear Develops a position Develops a position Develops a general

Evidence-based position based on based on evidence based on evidence position
Position evidence from sources from sources that from sources that based on evidence
and Draw that considers considers multiple reflects a particular from a source, and
Conclusions multiple perspectives, perspectives and perspective, and draws simple
and draws draws reasonable draws conclusions conclusions that
well-supported conclusions on a that reflect a basic, reflect a limited
conclusions on a globally significant one-dimensional understanding of the
globally significant issue/topic. understanding of the issue/topic.
issue/topic. issue/topic.

Analyze Analyzes the author’s Accurately interprets Restates the author’s Restates the author’s
Perspective and perspective on a the author’s perspective perspective on a
Demonstrate global topic/issue, and perspective on a on a global global topic/issue;
Cultural clearly differentiates global topic/issue, topic/issue, and makes generalizations
Understanding it from other and discusses identifies one other about cultural
perspectives; another perspective; perspective; discusses experiences or values
demonstrates a clear demonstrates an one aspect of the that are inaccurate or
and specific understanding of the cultural experiences not supported.
understanding of the cultural experiences or values reflected
cultural experiences and values reflected in the author’s
and values reflected in the varied perspective.
in the varied perspectives.
perspectives.

Understand Interprets text(s) or Interprets text(s) or Interpretation of Response to text(s)

Texts in media reflecting an media reflecting an text(s) or media reflects a basic
Cultural accurate understanding of reflects a partial understanding of the
Context understanding their cultural or understanding of their author's personal
about their cultural or historical contexts, cultural or historical experiences/perspecti
historical contexts, genres, audience or contexts, genres, ve, and limited
genres, audience or purpose, and/or the audience or purpose, understanding of other
purpose, and/or the author’s personal and/or the author’s contexts.
author’s personal experience/perspecti personal
experience/perspectiv ve. experience/perspectiv
e. e

Understand the Demonstrates an Describes varying Identifies an Recognizes that there

Impact of understanding of how perspectives on a alternative is an alternative
Literacy different perspectives situation, event, or perspective on a perspective on a
Contexts on and interpretations of issue; provides an situation, event, or situation, event, or
Perspective a situation, event, or explanation of each issue; explains that issue.
issue are shaped by perspective on the perspective referring
contexts, such as basis of different to at least one
access to literacy contexts, such as contextual factor,
(education) and to a differential access to such as limited access
range of texts from literacy (education) to literacy (education)
different genres, or information. or information.
periods, and places.

Thesis Introduces a clear, Introduces a clear Introduces a clear Introduces a general

precise, and complex and precise thesis. thesis. Develops thesis.
thesis. Develops Develops thesis thesis with relevant, Includes relevant
thesis through an through relevant, well-chosen details, details or examples
explanation of well-chosen details, examples, from sources.
significant and examples, and or definitions from
relevant details, extended definitions sources.
examples and from sources.
extended definitions
from sources.

Argument Introduces clear, Introduces clear, Introduces a clear Introduces a general

precise, and precise claim(s) and claim and makes note claim. Includes
knowledgeable acknowledges a that there is a relevant details or
claim(s) and discusses counterclaim. counterclaim. examples from
potential Develop claim(s) Supports claim sources.
counter-claim(s). with relevant with reasons and
Develop claim(s) and evidence and relevant evidence
counterclaim(s) fairly includes details from sources.
through an pertaining to a
explanation of counterclaim from
significant and sources.
relevant evidence
from sources.