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SOAPSTone Presentation PDF

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20 views12 pages

SOAPSTone Presentation PDF

Uploaded by

claycomb.benjamin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SOAPSTone:

A Strategy for Analyzing Text & Speech


Why use SOAPSTone?

Understand the text

Analyze the meaning of the text

Consider how and why the text was written


Use in
combination with
Close Reading for
best results!
Example: ‘Mother to Son’ Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
Read the poem ‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes. And splinters,
We will be using this poem as an example as we And boards torn up,
explore the SOAPSTone strategy. And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
S - Subject
Definition:
- The subject is the topic of the piece. It should be stated in just a few words. The
subject can be explicit (clearly stated) or implied (hinted at).

Consider:
- What is the piece about?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- In ‘Mother to Son,’ the subject of the poem is life.
O - Occasion
Definition:
- There are two occasions for each piece: the immediate and larger occasion. The
immediate occasion is the specific time and place. The larger occasion is the
historical and social context. Think of the immediate occasion as a “zoomed in”
view and the larger occasion as a “zoomed out” view.

Consider:
- When and where does the passage take place?
- What historical or social issues contributed to the context of the piece?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- Immediate occasion: Mother giving son advice/encouragement.
- Larger occasion: Parents care for their children and hope to give them the best life
possible.
A - Audience
Definition:
- The audience is who the speaker is directing the piece to. There can be a primary
and secondary audience. For example, the “I Have a Dream” speech was given to
a crowd of 250,000 protestors; but it was also received by a secondary audience
who heard the speech on television or read the transcript in newspapers. The
audience is never ‘everyone!’

Consider:
- Who is the speaker hoping to reach?
- What details do we know about the audience? What is their background,
experience, opinions, and credentials?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- The poem is directed to an unnamed son. The reader can infer he is having a
difficult time in life and is tempted to give up.
P - Purpose
Definition:
- The purpose is the reason the piece was written or spoken.

Consider:
- Why was this piece written?
- What does the speaker hope to accomplish through this piece?
- What are the motivating factors behind the text/speech?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- The purpose of ‘Mother to Son’ is to encourage a son to not give up on life. The
speaker accomplishes this purpose by sharing her own experience.
S - Speaker
Definition:
- The speaker is the voice behind the piece. In fiction, the speaker is not the author.
In nonfiction, the speaker is the author.

Consider:
- Who is telling the story or giving the information?
- What do we know about the speaker’s background, experiences, opinions, and
credentials?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- The speaker is a mother talking to her son. We can infer from her dialect that she is
not well-educated. She has had a difficult life, but she has not given up. She cares
greatly for her son and wants to encourage him.
Tone
Definition:
- Tone is the attitude of the speaker (not the author!) toward the subject.

Consider:
- How does the speaker feel about the subject?
- How do you know?

Example, ‘Mother to Son:’


- The tone of the poem is one of resilience. The mother describes life as being hard
by comparing it to a broken and splintered staircase. Yet she keeps climbing; she
doesn’t let the difficulties in life stop her and she wants her son to have this same
attitude.
Putting it Together...
Subject In ‘Mother to Son,’ the subject of the poem is life.

Immediate occasion: Mother giving son advice/encouragement.


Occasion
Larger occasion: Parents care for their children and hope to give them the best life possible.

The poem is directed to an unnamed son. The reader can infer he is having a difficult time in
Audience
life and is tempted to give up.

The purpose of ‘Mother to Son’ is to encourage a son to not give up on life. The speaker
Purpose
accomplishes this purpose by sharing her own experience.

The speaker is a mother talking to her son. We can infer from her dialect that she is not
Speaker well-educated. She has had a difficult life, but she has not given up. She cares greatly for her
son and wants to encourage him.

The tone of the poem is one of resilience. The mother describes life as being hard by
Tone comparing it to a broken and splintered staircase. Yet she keeps climbing; she doesn’t let the
difficulties in life stop her and she wants her son to have this same attitude.
Putting it Together...
In the poem ‘Mother to Son’ written by Langston Hughes, a mother speaks to her son about the
difficulties in life. The unnamed son is in danger of giving up on life. The mother, who compares
her life to a broken and splintered staircase, acknowledges that life is hard: “Life for me ain’t been
no crystal stair.” Then the mother encourages her son, “So, boy, don’t you turn back.” The overall
tone is one of resilience. No matter how tough it gets, the mother encourages her son to press on
and keep climbing the staircase of life.

SOAPSTone
+
Quotations from Text
=
Strong Analysis!
Practice After watching the video, complete the SOAPSTone chart on your practice page.

Note: Published
October 19, 2016
on YouTube

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