Functionally Analyzing Poetry
“SOAPSTONE”
Speaker: The voice that tells the story. Do not assume that the author is the speaker.
-Ask the question “Who would say this?”
Occasion: The time and place of the piece; the context that encouraged the writing to happen.
-Ask the question “Under what circumstances would this be said?”
Audience: The group of readers to whom the piece is directed.
-Ask the question “Who is this written to or for?”
Purpose: The reason behind the text; what was the motivation behind the writing? Purpose can
include entertainment, persuasion, or information.-
Ask the question “Why would the speaker say this?”
Subject: The general topic, content, and ideas contained in the text.
-Ask the question “What is this about?”
TONE: The attitude of the speaker and/or author. Tone is revealed mostly through word choice) and imagery.
-Ask the question “What do they think or feel about this subject?”
Example Tone Words: angry, bitter, condescending, cynical, grotesque, solemn, anxious, proud, silly, passionate, jealous, regret, terror, horror, uneasy, morbid, anguish, pity, icy, empty, zeal, serene, bliss, contentious, candid, vibrant, sorrow....
LITERARY DEVICES & TERMS
1) Figurative Language:
-Personification: Describing a non-human thing with human qualities.
-Metaphor: Comparing two unlike things (without using “like” or “as”).
-Simile: Comparing two unlike things using “like” or “as.”
2) Imagery: Language used to create pictures in the mind of the reader.
Ex: The man, clothed in black, hid his face from the light. (light/dark imagery)
3) Symbolism: Using one thing to stand for (represent, be a symbol for) another
Ex: The thirteen red and white stripes on the flag of the USA are symbols of the original 13 colonies.
4) Alliteration: Repeating sounds
Ex: Sally sells seashells by the seashore.
5) Diction: Word choice to produce an effect
6) Stanza: Lines of a poem that are grouped together, like a paragraph
7) Theme: The central message or big idea in a text
8) Rhyme: When words share a similar sound
Ex: The mouse was in the house. (internal rhyme in same line)
End Rhyme: The tale was hardly relevant,
Unless one is an elephant.
