SOAPSTONE

SOAPSTone

Analysis Strategy



SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of questions that we must first ask ourselves, and then answer, as we begin to plan our compositions, or if we’re analyzing others’ essays and writings.




Who is the Speaker?
The voice that tells the story. Before we begin to write, they must decide whose voice is going to be heard. Whether this voice belongs to a fictional character or to the writers themselves, students should determine how to insert and develop those attributes of the speaker that will influence the perceived meaning of the piece.



When analyzing others’ writing, we ask ourselves who is speaking? Is it the writer? A persona? How can we tell? What does the writing say about the speaker?

What is the Occasion?
The time and the place of the piece; the context that prompted the writing. Writing does not occur in a vacuum. All writers are influenced by the larger occasion: an environment of ideas, attitudes, and emotions that swirl around a broad issue. Then there is the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response.



Why are we writing? What am I concerned with? Or, when analyzing others’ writing, what are they writing in response to? What’s happening in the larger world? What is the specific reason the person is writing (or speaking)?

Who is the Audience?
The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. As we begin to write, we must determine who the audience is that we intend to address. It may be one person or a specific group. This choice of audience will affect how and why we write a particular text.



When analyzing others’ writing, we have to determine who the writer had in mind, as well, and why.



Questions to keep in mind: Is the writing intended to challenge a predicted point of view? To build on a predicted shared point of view? Is the audience a peer group? Superiors? Other? Are there both intended and unintended audiences?


What is the Purpose?
The reason behind the text. We need to consider the purpose of the text in order to develop the thesis or the argument and its logic. We should ask ourselves, "What do I want my audience to think or do as a result of reading my text?"



When analyzing others’ writing, we need to determine this same answer in regard to the purpose. What am we, as readers, supposed to think or do as a result of this person’s writing?

What is the Subject?
We should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. This step helps us to focus on the intended task throughout the writing process.



As well, when reading others’ writings, we should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases, as well, especially if the writing is done well.

What is the Tone?
The attitude of the author, often toward his or her writing and/or topic. The spoken word can convey the speaker's attitude and thus help to impart meaning through tone of voice. With the written word, it is tone that extends meaning beyond the literal, and we must learn to convey this tone in our diction (choice of words), syntax (sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language). The ability to manage tone is one of the best indicators of a sophisticated writer.



Additionally, we should read others’ writings carefully to understand tone, because this meaning is central to understanding. We look for clues that help us “hear” the writer, and thus make judgments about his or her tone.







Source: This handout adapted from AP Central for Teachers