| T | TITLE |
The poem will be about a sailor who becomes ill at sea. |
|---|---|---|
| P | PARAPHRASE |
A former sailor longs to return to the sea. He loves everything about the sea and will not be happy again until he can visit it again. His desire is so strong, it is almost a compulsion. |
| C | CONNOTATION |
Masefield's personification humanizes the sea and suggests that the speaker shares a personal relationship with the wind and water. The cold, gray setting is portrayed as beautiful and invigorating. |
| A | ATTITUDE/TONE |
The speaker's repetition of the opening line, "I must go down to the seas again", creates a sense of compulsion. The tone is one of passionate yearning. |
| S | SHIFT |
The poem does not shift. Each stanza repeats the speaker's desire to return to the sea, providing different memories that the speaker treasures. The poem's consistent message emphasizes the strength of the sailor's call and evokes the repetitive sound of the ocean waves. |
| T | TITLE |
After reading the poem, I see that the fever is not an illness, but an obsession. The poem is about a man obsessed with the sea and feverishly dreaming of another, perhaps a final, trip to sea. |
| T | THEME |
The speaker is restless until he can follow his heart and return to sea. The poem suggests that contentment can be found in pursuing what you love. |
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Student Instructions
Perform a TPCASTT analysis of “Sea Fever”. Remember that TPCASTT stands for Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shift, Title, Theme.
Empower students to independently analyze poems using the TPCASTT method by breaking down each element, offering guiding questions, and modeling examples. This process encourages critical thinking and deeper appreciation of poetry.
Create a classroom anchor chart listing each TPCASTT component and its purpose. Visual cues help students remember steps and refer back as they work. Use student-friendly language and add icons or color coding for engagement.
Read a poem aloud and walk through each TPCASTT step, voicing your thought process. This modeling shows students how to interpret poetic language and structure. Encourage students to ask questions and share ideas as you go.
Pair students or form small groups to analyze new poems with TPCASTT. Collaboration fosters discussion and multiple perspectives, deepening comprehension. Have groups present their findings to reinforce learning.
Invite students to illustrate or storyboard their TPCASTT findings using visuals, symbols, or digital tools. Creative expression helps students internalize each step and enjoy poetry analysis. Display student work to celebrate effort and insight.
A TPCASTT analysis of “Sea Fever” examines the poem using seven steps: Title, Paraphrase, Connotation, Attitude/Tone, Shift, Title (after reading), and Theme. This method helps students explore the poem’s meaning, literary devices, tone, and deeper message about longing for the sea.
To use the TPCASTT method in class, guide students through each step: predict the meaning of the title, paraphrase the poem, analyze connotations, identify attitude/tone, note shifts, revisit the title, and define the theme. This structured approach encourages critical thinking and deeper understanding.
The theme of “Sea Fever” is the irresistible longing to return to what you love. The speaker finds true contentment only by following his heart back to the sea, highlighting the importance of pursuing one’s passions.
TPCASTT is useful for teaching poetry because it breaks down analysis into manageable steps. This scaffolding helps students in grades 6–12 understand complex poems by focusing on meaning, structure, and literary devices, making poetry less intimidating and more accessible.
An example TPCASTT analysis of “Sea Fever” includes: predicting the poem is about a sick sailor (Title), paraphrasing the sailor’s longing (Paraphrase), noting personification and mood (Connotation), identifying yearning tone (Attitude), observing no shift (Shift), redefining the title as obsession (Title), and concluding the poem’s theme is finding joy in what you love (Theme).