SOAPstone

SOAPStone

The SOAPSTone Strategy for Written Analysis is a simple method of rhetorical criticism designed to help with the process of analyzing texts, writing about written texts, and even planning for the writing of an original text. SOAPSTone is an acronym, standing for Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, and Tone. By utilizing the six parts of the SOAPSTone strategy, you can take nearly any written text (for example, a novel, journal article, speech, creative nonfiction piece, or any other written document) and develop a good sense for what the author was intending to do with the document and how audiences may (or may not) react to the text. See the graphic here, or read the description in larger text below.

•S = Subject – What the document is about?

•O= Occasion – The event that prompted the document

•A= Audience – The group for whom the document was created

•P= Purpose – The reason for the document. –Is it to inform? Is it to persuade? What is the perspective of the speaker? Is he/she somehow affected by the events going on around him/her? Does he/she approve or disapprove of what is going on?

•S= Speaker – What is the person’s name? What is the available biographic information? What class does he/she belong to?

•TONE = Tone – What is the mood of the piece? Is the tone sarcastic? Is it defeated?