Thursday, August 30, 2007

AP Literature and Composition: Today you will be assigned your second focus paper. In addition, we are going to discuss the multiple-choice practice session from yesterday, and go over highlights from some of the passages. This is also an excellent time to review a mnemonic device for poetic analysis: TP-CASTT. (See below if you miss class today.)

Gifted English II: Our Author of the Day today is the incredibly ambiguous and challenging Vladimir Nabakov. Reading today: "The Storyteller" by Saki, and analysis.

TP-CASTT: Mnemonic Device for Poetic Analysis

T: Title (first impressions, word choices, prediction)
P: Paraphrase (overall meaning of the poem)
C: Connotation (word choice, figurative language)
A: Attitude/Tone (the author's view toward the subject matter)
S: Shift (where does the work shift direction?)
T: Title again (more symbolic)
T: Theme (final assumption of the poem's underlying message or meaning)