TP-CASTT
Title: What predictionsWhat are your initial or first thoughts about the poem? What might be the theme of the poem? can you make about the poem from the title "Choices"?
AnswerThe poem "Choices" could mean the choices people make in life or the choices between right and wrong.
"Choices"
Read Nikki Giovanni's poem "Choices."
Paraphrase: Describe what happens in the poem in your own words.
Answer People have choices to make, so if you can't do what you want, be happy with what you have. Things do not always go as planned, but you can make the best of it.
Connotation: What might the poem mean beyond the literal level? Find examples of figurative language and think about their possible connotative meanings. Consider the feelings that the words may give the reader.
AnswerThe only punctuation marks that the poem has are called ellipsis (…); these marks often indicate an omission of a word, but they can also indicate an intentional silence of the speaker. The word "job" means responsibility. The word "satisfied" means happy with what you have, but in the poem, the speaker must accept the situation.
Attitude: Describe the tone of the poem. What is the poet's attitude toward the subject of the poem? The speaker's attitude? Find and list examples that illustrate the tone and mood of the poem. These are the lines that show attitude.
AnswerThe speaker's tone is determined because she often mentions her "job" and keeps trying in spite of obstacles. The speaker also uses phrases like "it's the best I can do." A sorrowful tone is used at the end to state how the speaker feels, "mankind alone…learns to cry."
Shift: Is there a shift or a change in the tone or speaker of the poem? Where does the shift happen in the poem? What does it shift from and to?
AnswerThe attitude of the speaker shifts at the end of the poem from determined to sorrowful.
Title: Look at the title again. Have your original ideas about the poem changed? How? What do you think the title means now?
AnswerThe speaker seems to be disappointed with the lack of "choices" she has in her life, but she accepts the way things are although it makes her sorrowful.
Theme: What is the overall theme of the poem? What insight, understanding, lesson, or truth do you see after reading this poem?
AnswerThe theme of the poem is about the choices people have in life. A choice sounds like a good thing, but when there aren't many choices, it's important to move forward and make the best of the situation at hand.