 Analyzing style can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be with just a few reminders of what to look for  Try “deconstructing” the text, that is, pick it apart to identify and analyze its individual parts/features to see what’s there and being employed by the author and the effect it creates

 Consider the following:  Form  Audience  Purpose  By analyzing the form/structure of a piece often tells you what kind of text you’re dealing with (script, poem, article, etc.)  By analyzing who the target audience is you can make connections with word choice, diction, and syntax.  By analyzing the purpose, you get an understanding of the context out of which the writer is writing and what they are truly trying to communicate to the reader.

 Consider the following features of textual construction:  Diction—choices of vocabulary/lexis  Figures of speech—such as metaphor, simile, personification, climax, antithesis, or contrast  Structure or cohesion—how the piece fits together  Syntax—the types of phrases and sentence construction  Sound effects—alliteration, onomatopoeia, rhetorical devices, etc.  Tone—persuasive, angry, playful, sad, reflective, etc.

 Consider features of presentation:  Pictures  Font  Layout But the focus should be on the language and how linguistic choices “position” the reader/audience as a consumer.

 Using the travel advertisement from Seven Seas Voyager Cruises, analyze the text for elements of style.  Use the Guide to Textual Analysis and the notes you just took (STEPS 1-3) to help you “DECONSTRUCT” the text. Then discuss your findings with a partner.

 Now that you have deconstructed the text and analyzed its “Style,” complete the following activity with a partner: (tape record your conversation using a smart device with recording capability for a future activity on Speech Transcription) *Using the information in the advertisement text, write a short script for a two-voice radio advertisement for the same cruise. Try to capture the same “style” as the original in your script adaptation.*

 With your partner, make notes on the similarities/differences between the original text and your script, bearing in mind the change of mode and format.  Arrange your notes on a Venn Diagram. advertisement script

 Using any notes, Venn Diagram, and both original text and script, write a compare/contrast essay discussing what changed/stayed the same in terms of style between the two texts.