3. Poetry Analysis
“Lift Every Voice & Sing”- James Weldon Johnson
● 1 Structure and Form
● 2 Meter
● 3 Rhyme and Rhyme Scheme
● 4 Sound and Rhythm
● 5 Subject
● 6 Speaker
● 7 Figurative Language and Poetic Devices
● 8 Theme
● 9 Tone and Mood
● 10 Syntax
4.
5. TPCASTT
Consider the title and make a prediction about
what the poem is about.
Translate the poem line by line into your own
words on a literal level. Look for complete
thoughts and lookup unfamiliar words. Look for
figurative language, imagery,and sound elements
such as rhyme. Notice the speaker’s tone and
attitude. (What is the purpose: Persuade, Inform,
or Entertain)?
6. Notice any shifts or changes in the speaker’
attitude. Look for keywords, time change,
punctuation. Examine the title again, this time
on an interpretive level, why did the author
entitle the poem that way. What is significant
about it?
Briefly state in your own words what the poem
is about (subject), then what the poet is saying
about the subject (theme). The theme is the
message the author is trying to teach the
reader about humanity or human nature.
