SOAPSTone SOAPSTone Video
Intro Students need to recognize that any good composition, whether written, spoken, or drawn, is carefully planned. This composition has integral parts that work together in a complex and subtle arrangement to produce meaning. This is a method for dissecting the work of professional writers. SOAPSTone (Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone) is an acronym for a series of questions that students must first ask themselves, and then answer, as they begin to read the composition.
Who is the Speaker The voice that tells the story. Whose voice is telling the story? What do you know about the speaker based on the reading?
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. the immediate occasion: an event or situation that catches the writer's attention and triggers a response. What is the time, place, current situation, and context in which the author is writing?
Who is the Audience The group of readers to whom this piece is directed. Who is the INTENDED audience for the piece? Describe the characteristics of the audience. You must determine who the audience is that the author intended to address. It may be one person or a specific group.
What is the Purpose The reason behind the text. Why is the author writing? This is often connected to the audience and is not always clear at the beginning of a text. You need to consider the purpose of the text in order to understand the thesis or the argument and its logic. You should ask yourself, "What does the author want the audience to think or do as a result of reading the text/hearing the speech?"
What is the Subject Students should be able to state the subject in a few words or phrases. State the main idea(s) of the text in a few words. Think Central Ideas.
What is the Tone The attitude of the author. What is the feeling or manner of expression used by the author? 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 you must learn to analyze this tone in the author/speaker’s diction (choice of words), syntax (sentence construction), and imagery (metaphors, similes, and other types of figurative language).
Let’s Try it out Together! Listen/Read the song Rude by Magic! SOAPSTone Subject Occasion Audience Purpose Speaker Tone https://youtu.be/EoKgnLNjzsU?t=2m25s
Rude-Magic Saturday morning jumped out of bed and put on my best suit Got in my car and raced like a jet, all the way to you Knocked on your door with heart in my hand To ask you a question 'Cause I know that you're an old fashioned man yeah yeah Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too Why you gotta be so rude I'm gonna marry her anyway Marry that girl Marry her anyway Marry that girl Yeah no matter what you say Marry that girl And we'll be a family Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes 'Cause I need to know You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die Tough luck my friend cause the answer's still no! Why you gotta be so rude Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human too Why you gotta be so rude I'm gonna marry her anyway Marry that girl Marry her anyway Marry that girl No matter what you say Marry that girl And we'll be a family 'Can I have your daughter for the rest of my life? Say yes, say yes 'Cause I need to know You say I'll never get your blessing till the day I die Tough luck my friend but the answer is no! I hate to do this, you leave no choice Can't live without her Love me or hate me we will be both Standing at that altar Or we will run away To another galaxy you know You know she's in love with me She will go anywhere I go
“Hope, Despair and Memory” – Elie Wiesel Look over your text, and SOAPSTone