SOAPSTone, Objective Summary, & Rhetoric Situation

Rhetoric

Language used to provide a persuasive or impressive effect on an audience, involving a variety of structure choices made within a piece of writing to produce the most effective argument possible.

Rhetoric Analysis

The process of carefully and critically assessing how a speech or text persuades its audience. This is also an essential real world skill which teaches how voices in the world constantly seek to enlist the support of audiences and shape their behavior.

Rhetorical Situation

The larger context or set of circumstances that an author or speaker communicates to an audience, giving insight to their distinct and strategic choices. To understand, assess, and evaluate the strategies of a speech, you must also enclose WHO wrote or delivered it, WHERE and HOW it was delivered, WHO it was written FOR or delivered TO, WHY the speaker chose to speak about the topic, and WHAT they aim to achieve.

S - Subject

The main idea, issue, or topic of a speech, which can be found by examining the title & introduction, as well as looking for big ideas that repeat throughout the speech.

O - Occasion

The time & place of the piece, along with the context that surrounds or initially prompted it to be made.

A - Audience

The group to whom a piece is directed to.

The specific identity of the audience greatly influences the choices and rhetorical strategy of the speaker, therefore their mental and/or their emotional state, social class, gender, past experiences, educational level, and whether or not they agree with the specific speaker should all be considered.

Although, keep in mind that there may be more than one intended group for the speech.

P - Purpose

What the speaker hopes to achieve with the message they want to convey; their reason for speaking. Consider the question: "What does the author want their audience to do and/or believe as a result of attending or encountering the speech?"

Also usually stated alongside an infinite verb.

S - Speaker

The individual who delivers and/or writes the speech in question. Their identity, background, and unique point of view contributes to shaping their message and credibility.

When analyzing them, their identity, position/role (such as their job), relationship to the audience, and experience/expertise on the matter are all closely considered to determine whether or not they can be trusted.

T - Tone

The speaker's/author's attitude towards the audience and/or the subject in question, which can be detected by analyzing and dissecting the diction, syntax and imagery used within a speech. However, there are times where it may tend to shift as the speech progresses.

SOAPSTone

An acronym standing for 'Speaker', 'Occasion', 'Audience', 'Purpose', 'Subject', and 'Tone', this process helps when analyzing a speech to infer reasoning behind a speaker's claims, their choice of evidence, their use of appeals, and their choice of tone.

Diction

the choice and use of words and phrases used in a speech or piece of writing.

Syntax

The arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences structures.

Imagery

Visually descriptive or figurative language, in a piece of literary work.

Objective Summary

A summary of a piece of writing that features the most important and relevant elements, details, and/or ideas from a text, and utilizes no opinions or judgements. It must also mention the rhetorical situation, and a sequential order of events must be given of said points and/or ideas.

Speech Name

The first thing that is specifically mentioned at the very beginning of an objective summary.

Sequential Summary of Events

The events, listed in chronological order, leading up to the speech being made.