English IVA blog : Blog Post #5 TPCASTT

TPCASTT Template

Title: At first glance, what do you think the title means? Look carefully at the archetypes of literature. For example, we discussed the nuances of the “tree” before reading “The Black Walnut Tree”. Your Foster chapters will help you identify these areas of symbolism.

The title of the poem is Rumplestiltskin. The title indicates that the poem will reference the fairy tale in which a small man helps a girl spin gold in exchange for compensation which eventually escalates into her promising her child. by having a one word title, the main point of the poem must pertain to the story of Rumpelstiltskin with the main theme of the poem mirroring the theme of the story.

Paraphrase: Summarize the poem in your own words.

The poem reflects on the story of Rumpelstiltskin and compares the desires and animalistic impulses of the little man in the story to the inner workings of people in general. It shows how Rumplestiltskin offers to help the miller’s daughter to spin straw into gold in exchange for gifts: first a necklace then a ring and finally her firstborn. When her child is born, however, she weeps and the man takes pity on her and offers her another chance; if she guesses his name, she can keep the child. She finally guesses it after he is overheard bragging in the woods and Rumplestiltskin tears himself into the different aspects of human nature as a result.

Connotation: Author’s diction (word choice):

Identify meaningful words & discuss the implied or associated value. Remember also to include an analysis (the effect) of your literary devices here, especially as it relates to figurative language like imagery, irony, etc.

The author uses the word despair to describe the little man. In this case, this word is used to evoke a meaning that is more than just mere sadness. Instead the author wanted to inspire feelings of desperation and hollowness to describe the state of this man. The author also defines Rumplestiltskin as “no bigger than a two-year-old”. In this case, the casual use of the toddler comparison strips Rumplestiltskin of any claim to manhood that he might have. It is somewhat insulting to the man to be compared in this way to a child just out of the reaches of infancy. Also, it is ironic to compare him to a child because that is what he later asks for from the queen. This comparison is ironic because it implies that the child-like-man is desperate for a child of his own.

Attitude/Tone: What is the attitude of the author or speaker? Use your Tone and Mood Words sheet.

The author uses a sort of condescending and mocking tone in the poem. She calls the child of the queen “ugly as an artichoke” like every other baby. This implies that she doesn’t understand why the queen won’t just give up the child. She also calls Rumplestiltskin the little man which is insulting and implies that the author is looking down on the characters.

Shift: Is there a place in the poem where an idea or attitude seems to shift in a new direction? Explain. IS THERE ANY SORT OF COMPLEXITY THAT IS REFLECTED IN THIS SHIFT? (IRONY, PARADOX, ETC.)

The attitude shifts after the first stanza in the poem. The first stanza is eerie and she ends the stanza by repeating “beware”. The next stanza opens with a fairy-tale like opening describing a girl who had to spin gold to stay alive. The purpose of this attitude switch was to show that the inner workings of the human mind are to be feared but that they are unavoidable. She accomplishes this by showing the connection of the initial evil to a typical girl.

Title Revisited: List any new insights you have on the significance of the title.

The title is also implying that Rumpelstiltskin represents a universal concept - human nature. By making the name the title, the author distributes importance to the character and what he means in the layout of the story as a whole.

Theme: What is the overall message of the poem? Remember to make this a statement, rather than one word. Draw from your list of universal themes.

The overall theme of this poem is that people have many different sides of their minds - referred to as “doppelgangers” in this poem. They represent the different sides of humanity, from the purely animalistic side to the public front of society, that people battle against everyday.

English IVA blog

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Blog Post #5 TPCASTT

No comments:

Post a Comment

Blog Archive

Title: At first glance, what do you think the title means? Look carefully at the archetypes of literature. For example, we discussed the nuances of the “tree” before reading “The Black Walnut Tree”. Your Foster chapters will help you identify these areas of symbolism.	The title of the poem is Rumplestiltskin. The title indicates that the poem will reference the fairy tale in which a small man helps a girl spin gold in exchange for compensation which eventually escalates into her promising her child. by having a one word title, the main point of the poem must pertain to the story of Rumpelstiltskin with the main theme of the poem mirroring the theme of the story.
Paraphrase: Summarize the poem in your own words.	The poem reflects on the story of Rumpelstiltskin and compares the desires and animalistic impulses of the little man in the story to the inner workings of people in general. It shows how Rumplestiltskin offers to help the miller’s daughter to spin straw into gold in exchange for gifts: first a necklace then a ring and finally her firstborn. When her child is born, however, she weeps and the man takes pity on her and offers her another chance; if she guesses his name, she can keep the child. She finally guesses it after he is overheard bragging in the woods and Rumplestiltskin tears himself into the different aspects of human nature as a result.
Connotation: Author’s diction (word choice): Identify meaningful words & discuss the implied or associated value. Remember also to include an analysis (the effect) of your literary devices here, especially as it relates to figurative language like imagery, irony, etc.	The author uses the word despair to describe the little man. In this case, this word is used to evoke a meaning that is more than just mere sadness. Instead the author wanted to inspire feelings of desperation and hollowness to describe the state of this man. The author also defines Rumplestiltskin as “no bigger than a two-year-old”. In this case, the casual use of the toddler comparison strips Rumplestiltskin of any claim to manhood that he might have. It is somewhat insulting to the man to be compared in this way to a child just out of the reaches of infancy. Also, it is ironic to compare him to a child because that is what he later asks for from the queen. This comparison is ironic because it implies that the child-like-man is desperate for a child of his own.
Attitude/Tone: What is the attitude of the author or speaker? Use your Tone and Mood Words sheet.	The author uses a sort of condescending and mocking tone in the poem. She calls the child of the queen “ugly as an artichoke” like every other baby. This implies that she doesn’t understand why the queen won’t just give up the child. She also calls Rumplestiltskin the little man which is insulting and implies that the author is looking down on the characters.
Shift: Is there a place in the poem where an idea or attitude seems to shift in a new direction? Explain. IS THERE ANY SORT OF COMPLEXITY THAT IS REFLECTED IN THIS SHIFT? (IRONY, PARADOX, ETC.)	The attitude shifts after the first stanza in the poem. The first stanza is eerie and she ends the stanza by repeating “beware”. The next stanza opens with a fairy-tale like opening describing a girl who had to spin gold to stay alive. The purpose of this attitude switch was to show that the inner workings of the human mind are to be feared but that they are unavoidable. She accomplishes this by showing the connection of the initial evil to a typical girl.
Title Revisited: List any new insights you have on the significance of the title.	The title is also implying that Rumpelstiltskin represents a universal concept - human nature. By making the name the title, the author distributes importance to the character and what he means in the layout of the story as a whole.
Theme: What is the overall message of the poem? Remember to make this a statement, rather than one word. Draw from your list of universal themes.	The overall theme of this poem is that people have many different sides of their minds - referred to as “doppelgangers” in this poem. They represent the different sides of humanity, from the purely animalistic side to the public front of society, that people battle against everyday.