Choosing to Use Inflection With Poetry

• To critically analyze a poem• To analyze a speaker’s use of inflection to

convey thoughts and emotions• To present a dramatic text convincingly

ChoicesCHOICES if i can't dowhat i want to dothen my job is to notdo what i don't wantto do it's not the same thingbut it's the best i cando if i can't havewhat i want . . . thenmy job is to wantwhat i've gotand be satisfiedthat at least thereis something more to want since i can't gowhere i needto go . . . then i must . . . gowhere the signs pointthrough always understandingparallel movementisn't lateral when i can't expresswhat i really feeli practice feelingwhat i can expressand none of it is equali knowbut that's why mankindalone among the animalslearns to cry

“Choices” by Nikki Giovanni

Listen as I read without Inflection

What is your response to this reading?

Now listen as I read with proper inflection

What is the difference with between the two readings?

Reading Volunteers

Who can read this poem in a new way?What choices about inflection need to be made to interpret the poem?

Inflection: varying the tone and pitch of the voice; also includes tempo, volume, and phrasing

Giovanni’s Choices About Punctuation

What is the effect of Giovanni’s lack of punctuation and capitalization?

Poets use punctuation – or absence of punctuation – primarily for dramatic effect. In this poem, the only punctuation used is the points of ellipsis (…). Points of ellipsis often indicate an intentional omission of a word or phrase from the text. They may also be used to indicate an intentional silence of the speaker.

Punctuation in English

periodexclamation markquestions markcommacolonsemicolonapostrophe

quotation markshyphendashparenthesesbracesbracketsellipses

Nikki Giovanni

Nikki Giovanni is a popular poet and professor of English. Over the years, she has won numerous writing awards. Her writing often focuses on individuals and their choices to make a difference.

TP-CASTT Analysis: You have to understand a poem before you can interpret it orally

Poem Title:Author:Title: Make a prediction. What do you think the title means before you read the poem?Paraphrase: Translate the poem in your own words. What is the poem about? Rephrase difficult sections word for word.Connotation: Look beyond the literal meaning of key words and images to their associations.Attitude: What is the speaker’s attitude? What is the author’s attitude? How does the author feel about the speaker, about other characters, about the subject?Shifts: where do the shifts in tone, setting, voice, etc., occur? Look for time and place, keywords, punctuation, stanza division, changes in length or rhyme, and sentence structure. What is the purpose of each shift? How do they contribute to effect and meaning?Title: Reexamine the title. What do you think it means now in the context of the poem?Theme: Think of the literal and metaphorical layers of the poem. Then determine the overall theme. The theme must be written in a complete sentence.

How to Use TP-CASTT

This is not a sequential approach, but rather a fluid process.You can move back and forth among the various concepts.You should record your thoughts along the way.As always, your analysis and conclusions should be based on the TEXT.

TP-CASTT with “Choices”Acronym Directions for

AnalysisResponse

Title Ponder the title before reading the poem

Paraphrase Restate the poem in your own words

Connotation Contemplate the poem for word meanings beyond the literal

Attitude Observe both the speaker’s and the poem’s tone

Shift Note the shifts in person, place, and attitude

Title Revisited

Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level

Theme Determine the message about life implied by the poem

Complete these sentences

In “Choices,” Nikki Giovanni discusses…

How does the poem address the idea of choice?

What emotional words help you discover the tone of “Choices”?

Inflection KeyPitch: change tone or pitch of the voice

Circle words to speak at a higher pitch.

Volume: loudness or softness of the voice

Underline words or sentences to read louder.Double underline words to read softer.

Tempo: the speed or rate of speaking

Write “slow” next to phrases or lines to read slowly.

Phrasing: dividing a speech into smaller parts, adding pauses for emphasis

Place a vertical line or slash to indicate a pause.

Reflection

How do your inflection markings of “Choices” make the thoughts and emotions of the speaker clear to the audience?

Which other inflection choices, if any, might make an oral interpretation of “Choices” even better? Also consider facial expression and movement.

Add to Your Oral Interpretation Map

Oral interpretaion