SOAPSTONE Worksheet
Instructor: Mr. Shearer, Room C-20
2019-20 Page 1 of 2 Citrus Valley High School
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 and is used to analyze rhetorically texts we read in class.
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.
SPEAKER: DETERMINE THE SPEAKER. Identify who is telling the story or giving the information.
Is it an omniscient narrator, a character in the story, or the actual author? Why do you think the
author chose that person to be the speaker? What details about this person are important to
know?
OCCASION: RECOGNIZE THE OCCASION. The occasion refers to the time and place of the story
or written document. When and where do the events take place? From what geographical and
chronological context is the speaker thinking and acting? How does the time and place affect
and inform the text? What details are given about the occasion in the text itself?
AUDIENCE: DESCRIBE THE AUDIENCE. Consider the primary, secondary, and even tertiary
audiences of this text. Who was the text written for? Why was it written for them? What
characteristics do you know about the audience and how do you know that the text was written
with them in mind?
PURPOSE: ESTABLISH THE PURPOSE. Why would the author write this particular text for the
audience you noted above? Determine the meaning and message underlying the prose and ask
yourself: what value does this give to my audience? What does the author think or hope the
audience of the text will think about the text or do as a result of it? How does the author
effectively (or ineffectively) make his or her purpose clear and realize the purpose’s goals?
SUBJECT: INVESTIGATE THE SUBJECT. Knowing the audience and purpose of the document, in
conjunction with the occasion and speaker allows you to better understand the subject or topic
of the text. What is the author really getting at? What belies the story or prose, possibly
providing a deeper meaning? What does the author reveal (or not reveal) when addressing the
subject?
TONE: DISSECT THE TONE. Evaluate the word choice, organization, and rhetorical patterns in
the prose. How do the textual elements make the audience feel? How does the author feel
about the subject? Is the message heavy-handed, or is it subtle? What can you say about the
syntactical construction and structure of the text in regards to tone?
On the following worksheet, you are to identify the rhetorical situation for texts we read in
class. List the title of the text then complete the form with as much detail as you can provide.
