An effective way to engage your students is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym “TWIST”. In a TWIST, students focus on a particular paragraph or a few pages, to look deeper at the author’s meaning. For this activity, students will create a 5 cell storyboard, illustrating each letter of TWIST for Rudyard Kipling's poem “If”.
| T | TONE |
The tone of this poem is didactic, which means it sets out to teach a lesson. In this case, a father to his son. |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
Kipling uses a lot of figurative language in this poem. One example is when he refers to Triumph and Disaster as “imposters”. This is an example of personification. Another example is when Kipling says, “Yours is the earth, and everything that is in it.” This is a hyperbole, or an exaggerated fact. |
| I | IMAGERY |
An example of imagery in this poem is the line, “If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting.” |
| S | STYLE |
“If” is a lyrical poem. This means that it is written with such a rhythm and rhyme pattern that it resembles the musical qualities of a song. |
| T | THEME |
The theme of this poem is self-development. The author is telling his son all of the things he needs to do in order to develop into a good man. |
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Due Date:
Objective: Create a TWIST analysis of the poem "If".
Student Instructions:
Boost engagement by dividing your class into small groups. Assign each group a different stanza or section of the poem “If” to analyze using the TWIST framework. This allows students to share ideas and learn from each other while focusing on specific literary elements.
Designate roles such as discussion leader, note-taker, illustrator, and presenter. Clear roles ensure every student is actively involved and the group stays organized as they analyze their section of the poem.
Have each group collaboratively create a 5-cell storyboard—one cell for each TWIST element. Encourage students to use visuals, quotes, and brief explanations for each cell, deepening their understanding of the poem.
Invite each group to present their TWIST storyboard. This gives students practice with public speaking and allows the whole class to see different perspectives on the poem.
After all presentations, open the floor for classmates to ask questions or comment. Peer feedback helps students reflect on their work and builds a collaborative classroom environment.
A TWIST analysis is a literary tool where students examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme in a text. For 'If' by Rudyard Kipling, it helps students dive deeper into the poem's message and structure by analyzing each element with examples from the poem.
To teach TWIST analysis with storyboards, have students create a 5-cell storyboard, each cell representing one element of TWIST for 'If'. Students illustrate and explain examples of tone, word choice, imagery, style, and theme using scenes and captions from the poem.
In 'If', the tone is didactic, aiming to teach life lessons. An example of imagery is the line, “If you can wait, and not be tired by waiting,” which evokes patience and endurance through clear visual language.
TWIST analysis is effective for grades 6-8 because it breaks complex texts into manageable parts. It guides students to focus on key literary elements, deepening their understanding and critical thinking skills while making analysis more engaging and accessible.
Ask students to: Start the assignment, illustrate each TWIST element with scenes and characters from 'If', write a brief explanation for each image, and save and exit when finished. Remind them to focus on the meaning and importance of each example.