SOAPS-Tone-Theme: A method for getting at the meaning of poetry By: KYLENE NASH

SOAPS + Tone + Theme is an Acronym for a series of steps in poetry analysis. If you walk through each step, you will have a much better chance of arriving at a clear understanding of the poem! Here is what each letter stands for: S: Speaker O: Occasion A: Audience P:Purpose S:Subject Tone Theme

“S” is for Speaker The Speaker is simply the voice that is speaking through the poem. DO NOT CONFUSE Author and Speaker... For the purposes of this class, they are not the same. Ever. What do you know about him or her? (What can you INFER about him or her from what the poem says?)

“O” is for Occasion What is the occasion of the poem? Literally, what can we know about the time and place? What is the event that prompts the speaker to speak?

“A” is for Audience To whom is the speaker speaking? What do you know about him/her/them? The audience may be one person, a small group, or a large group; it may be a certain person or a certain people group.

“P” is for Purpose What is the purpose of the poem? What is the reason behind the text? Why was it written? What goal did the author have in mind? Why do you think the poet wrote the poem?

“S” is for Subject What is the subject of the poem? (What is the general topic, content, or idea contained in the text?) Summarize in a few words or phrases. What is the subject of the poem? (What is the general topic, content, or idea contained in the text?) Summarize in a few words or phrases.

Examine the choice of words, emotions expressed, or imagery used to determine the speaker's attitude. What is the tone of the poem? What is the speaker’s attitude toward the subject of the poem? Tone

Theme What is the theme of the poem? What is the poet pointing out about people, society, or life? State the theme in a few words.

Race by Karen Gershon When I returned to my home town believing that no one would care who I was and what I thought it was as if the people caught an echo of me everywhere they knew my story by my face and I who am always alone became a symbol of my race Like every living Jew I have in imagination seen the gas-chamber the mass-grave the unknown body which was mine and found in every German face behind the mask the mark of Cain I will not make their thoughts my own by hating people for their race

S: Speaker O: Occasion A: Audience P: Purpose S: Subject Tone Theme Let’s Practice Take out a sheet of paper and create the chart below

First They Came Pastor Martin Niemoller First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialist And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me

First They Came Pastor Martin Niemoller S: Speaker O: Occasion A: Audience P: Purpose S: Subject Tone Theme Now You Try!