english speech analysis example

• Fri. Sep 13th, 2024

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What is the process of speech analysis? Complete Guide!

By Waqas Sharif

Understanding speech analysis can help us learn how we communicate with others. It involves identifying speech patterns, analyzing tone and inflection, and is important in fields like linguistics, psychology, and communications.

Global speech analytics market: Expected to reach $26.88 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.6%. (Source: Grand View Research, 2023)

Speech Analytics Market

Global speech analytics market: Expected to reach $26.88 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 17.6%. (Source: Grand View Research, 2023)

In this guide, we will explore the step-by-step process of speech analysis. We’ll cover the tools and techniques used to dissect and understand spoken language. Whether you want to improve your communication skills or learn the science of speech, this guide will give you a comprehensive overview.

Understanding Speech Analysis

Speech analysis involves several steps:

• Transcription : This step involves converting spoken words into written text.
• Linguistic analysis : This focuses on the structure and content of the speech.
• Acoustic analysis : This step looks at the physical properties of speech, such as pitch, tone, and speed.

Different types of speech analysis include:

• Sentiment analysis : Measures emotions conveyed in speech.
• Speaker identification : Identifies the individual speaking.

Sentiment analysis:  AI algorithms can accurately detect emotions and sentiments from spoken language, offering valuable insights into customer and employee feedback. (Source: Nature Machine Intelligence, 2023

Speech analysis has real-world applications in various fields:

• Customer service : Measures customer satisfaction based on phone conversations.
• Law enforcement : Helps identify criminals through voice recognition.
• Healthcare : Assess speech disorders and disabilities.

Customer experience improvement: Analyzing customer calls and feedback helps businesses understand customer needs, improve service quality, and personalize interactions. (Source: CX Today, 2023)

These examples demonstrate the practical relevance and versatility of speech analysis in today’s society.

Steps in Speech Analysis

Listening to the speech.

Active listening is an important skill for improving speech analysis. Fully engaging with the speaker and paying attention to verbal cues helps the listener understand the speech better. Noting the speaker’s tone, pitch, and emphasis provides valuable insights into key themes. Understanding body language , such as gestures and facial expressions, also enhances speech analysis by providing context for the speaker’s words and emotions.

Incorporating all these elements helps a speech analyst develop a comprehensive understanding of the message and its impact on the audience.

Transcribing the Words

Transcribing speech analysis involves turning spoken language into written text. This can be done manually or with speech recognition software. By transcribing, analysts can understand the speech’s content, tone, and language used. It helps identify themes, sentiments , and linguistic patterns.

Transcribing also helps find keywords and phrases for further analysis. Techniques like time-coding and speaker identification are used.

These techniques capture speech essence, making it valuable for professionals, researchers, and organizations.

Breaking Down the Content

When analyzing a speech, it’s important to consider several things:

• Identify key themes,
• Analyze tone and emotion,
• Assess the overall structure and delivery.

By examining these elements, analysts can understand the message and its impact better.

Speech analysis tools can help by providing insights into word frequency, speaker’s pacing, and audience reactions. These tools enable analysts to study various aspects of the speech for a more comprehensive analysis.

For example, a tool might reveal that a theme was only briefly mentioned, highlighting potential discrepancies in communication.

Breaking down a speech for analysis allows for a more thorough understanding of its impact and effectiveness.

Identifying Key Themes

One way to find the main topics in a speech is through thematic analysis or coding. This means systematically recognizing, examining, and reporting patterns within the speech. By sorting the content into specific themes, the speech can be better understood and the main ideas highlighted. For instance, in a speech about climate change, thematic analysis might uncover themes like environmental impacts, policy initiatives, and individual responsibility.

This method helps to organize the key points and concepts in the speech, providing a structure for the analysis. It allows for a deeper look at the content and ensures important themes are not missed.

Analyzing Tone and Emotion

When analyzing the tone of a speech and identifying emotional cues, you can use various techniques to understand the speaker’s intentions and impact.

Pay attention to the speaker’s vocal inflections, pitch, and overall delivery to gain insight into the emotional undertones. Also, analyze the choice of words, language patterns, and non-verbal cues like facial expressions and gestures for further understanding.

Understanding the tone and emotion in a speech can help you grasp the speaker’s message and its impact on the audience. Deciphering emotional cues can lead to a deeper understanding of the speech’s subtext and significantly influence how the message is perceived and interpreted.

Moreover, understanding emotional nuances can also help in evaluating the effectiveness of the speaker’s communication and its resonance with the audience. It can shed light on potential implications and the desired response from the listeners.

Understanding Body Language

Understanding body language is also essential in speech analysis. Body language cues like fidgeting, avoiding eye contact, and closed-off body posture can indicate discomfort or nervousness. By understanding these cues, individuals can contribute to effective communication and relationship building.

For example, maintaining an open body posture and making consistent eye contact can convey confidence and attentiveness in a conversation. It’s also important to consider cultural differences in body language and nonverbal communication in cross-cultural interactions. In some cultures, direct eye contact may be seen as disrespectful, while in others, it’s a sign of honesty and engagement.

Additionally, gestures such as handshakes or bowing can vary significantly across different cultures. Understanding these cultural differences can greatly enhance cross-cultural communication and prevent misunderstandings.

Types of Speech Analysis

Acoustic analysis.

The extraction and analysis of acoustic features in speech can reveal important patterns and relationships. This includes prosody, pronunciation, and acoustic cues for emotions .

By examining aspects like pitch, loudness, rhythm, and pronunciation, researchers and analysts identify specific patterns and relationships within speech. For example, variations in pitch and loudness may indicate different emotional states or attitudes, while rhythm and pronunciation can provide insight into cultural or regional speech patterns.

To analyze these acoustic features effectively, techniques such as spectrogram and waveform analysis, as well as machine learning algorithms, are commonly used. These methods help researchers quantify and measure prosodic and acoustic features, enabling a deeper understanding of the underlying patterns and relationships in speech.

Linguistic Analysis

The way sentences are structured in the transcribed text shapes the meaning and tone of the speech. Complex sentences convey sophistication, while simple language creates a conversational tone. Verb tenses indicate whether events are in the past or present, providing context and clarity.

The vocabulary choice in the text affects the effectiveness of the speech and conveys the intended message. Technical jargon shows expertise but can alienate some audiences. Accessible language ensures a wider understanding but may lack nuance for certain topics.

Coherence and cohesion in the text contribute to the speech’s impact. The logical progression of ideas, smooth transitions, and clear connections enhance persuasiveness. Cohesive devices like pronouns and conjunctions maintain unity and flow.

Content analysis

The speech’s main ideas and arguments can be examined using content analysis. This method involves identifying key themes, claims, and supporting evidence in the speech’s message. Thematic analysis is useful for finding recurring patterns and themes in the speech’s content. Coding these themes and analyzing their prevalence helps understand the speech’s main ideas. It also streamlines sorting and organizing information, making it easier to identify and analyze key claims and evidence.

This method promotes a structured and systematic approach to evaluating the speech’s content and enables a comprehensive analysis of its key themes and arguments.

Pragmatic Analysis

The speaker’s intention in delivering a speech significantly influences both the content and delivery. Their goal may be to inform, persuade, entertain, or inspire the audience. This intention shapes the language, tone, and overall message of the speech.

The speaker’s choice of words and the examples they use will vary depending on whether they aim to educate, motivate, or provoke thought. The audience and situational factors also play a crucial role in interpreting the meaning and communicative intent of the speech.

The composition of the audience, including demographics, interests, and prior knowledge, can impact how the message is received and understood.

Situational factors such as the location, timing, and current events can influence the receptiveness and overall impact of the speech. Understanding these contextual elements is essential for a pragmatic analysis to fully grasp the complete meaning and intent behind the speech.

Tools for Speech Analysis

Software programs.

Software programs for speech analysis are used in many different fields including linguistics, psychology, and speech therapy. These programs can do acoustic analysis, phonetic transcription, and prosody analysis. They provide precise measurements and visualizations of speech parameters, making analysis more accurate and efficient than manual techniques. The programs also help process large amounts of speech data much faster, saving time and effort.

They often include algorithms and tools to automate parts of the analysis, further increasing efficiency and reducing errors. In general, using software programs for speech analysis enhances accuracy, speed, and automation, making them important tools for professionals.

Manual Analysis Techniques

Manual speech analysis involves transcribing and coding spoken words. Researchers can use content analysis to identify themes and analyze tone and emotion. It helps classify and categorize the content, making it easier to interpret. This includes identifying the main ideas, arguments, and rhetorical strategies used by the speaker. For instance, researchers may analyze persuasive techniques like ethos, pathos, and logos to understand their impact.

Artificial intelligence (AI):  AI-powered speech analytics tools are improving accuracy, offering real-time insights, and enabling personalization of analysis.  (Source: Forbes, 2023)

Through manual content analysis, researchers can gain a deeper understanding of the speech and its effectiveness.

Benefits of Speech Analysis

Improves communication.

Studying speech patterns and characteristics can improve communication skills. Analyzing pace, tone, and word choice in speech can help identify areas for improvement. This leads to increased confidence and clearer messaging. Speech analysis can also help identify communication barriers like poor pronunciation or speaking too quickly. Addressing these issues helps individuals engage and deliver ideas effectively. Speech analysis is used in education, business, and public speaking.

For instance,educators use it to help students with verbal presentations, while businesses use it to coach employees on communication strategies.

Enhances Public Speaking Skills

Speech analysis is a valuable tool in enhancing public speaking skills as it allows individuals to identify areas for improvement. By recording and analyzing their own speeches, individuals can pinpoint specific areas of weakness, such as vocal tone, pacing, or filler words, and work to improve them.

Additionally, speech analysis can provide insights into nonverbal cues and body language, helping speakers to become more engaging and dynamic. In a real-world application, individuals may use speech analysis to study successful public speakers and identify techniques or strategies to incorporate into their own presentations. Techniques such as practicing in front of a mirror, recording practice sessions for self-evaluation, or seeking feedback from peers or mentors can greatly enhance speech analysis skills and, in turn, improve public speaking abilities.

By regularly practicing speech analysis and actively working to improve specific aspects of their speaking, individuals can become more confident and effective public speakers.

Aids Language Learning

Speech analysis helps language learners improve their pronunciation, intonation, and speaking skills. By recording and analyzing their speech, learners can identify areas for improvement and track their progress. This is especially useful for those without regular access to native speakers. Tools like voice recognition software and audio recording apps offer options for practice and analysis. The benefits include better pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

Learners also get personalized feedback and recommendations. Incorporating speech analysis can help develop a more authentic accent and greater proficiency in the target language.

Supports Psychological Analysis

Speech analysis is important for understanding the emotions and psychological state of the speaker. Psychologists analyze aspects like tone, pitch, and language patterns to gain insight. Changes in speech can indicate psychological struggles, like depression or anxiety. Tools like voice stress analysis and sentiment analysis software detect emotional cues. This data helps psychologists identify and address clients’ needs for more effective treatment and support.

Market research and sentiment analysis: Analyzing public speeches and social media conversations provides insights into consumer preferences and brand sentiment.  (Source: Nielsen, 2023)

Challenges in Speech Analysis

Accents and dialects.

Accents and dialects can impact speech analysis. They influence pronunciation, rhythm, and intonation. This makes it hard to transcribe and interpret speech accurately. Different accents and dialects have unique phonetic features and sound patterns . This makes it challenging for speech analysis.

Words or phrases may be pronounced differently based on regional or cultural differences. Techniques like phonetic transcription, audio spectrograms, and machine learning algorithms can help.

They can accurately analyze speech with various accents and dialects. These techniques can identify and differentiate between unique speech patterns. This allows for more precise and comprehensive speech analysis across different linguistic variations.

Ambiguities in Language

Ambiguities in language can come from different sources. For example, homonyms are words that sound the same but have different meanings. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different spellings. Idioms and metaphors can also create ambiguity, especially for non-native speakers or people from different cultural backgrounds.

In speech analysis, these ambiguities can lead to misunderstandings. This makes it difficult to accurately understand the speaker’s emotions, intentions, or instructions. For instance, the phrase “it’s raining cats and dogs” doesn’t mean actual animals are falling from the sky. It’s an idiom for heavy rainfall.

The word “bat” could mean a flying mammal or sports equipment. It’s important to understand the intended meaning for effective speech analysis. Addressing and understanding these ambiguities is vital for improving the accuracy and reliability of speech analysis technology.

Technical Limitations of Tools

One technical limitation of speech analysis tools is their inability to capture subtle nuances in speech patterns and tones accurately. This can affect the overall accuracy and effectiveness of speech analysis, as these tools may struggle to differentiate between different emotions, intentions, or language nuances. However according to NIST:

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR):  Accuracy of ASR tools continues to improve, reaching human-like performance in some situations. (Source: NIST Speech Recognition Benchmark, 2023)

Additionally, some tools have limited processing power, which can result in slower analysis and potential errors in transcribing or interpreting speech data.

Advancements in technology, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, have the potential to help overcome these limitations. These developments could lead to more sophisticated tools capable of accurately capturing and analyzing the intricacies of speech, ultimately improving the accuracy and effectiveness of speech analysis in various applications.

Technologies can now reliably identify individual speakers based on their voice characteristics. (Source: IEEE Transactions on Audio, Speech, and Language Processing, 2023)

Real-world Applications of Speech Analysis

Law enforcement interrogations.

Law enforcement uses speech analysis techniques like microexpressions, voice stress analysis, and statement analysis. These methods help detect deception and uncover important information during questioning. They also assist officers in assessing a suspect’s credibility and identifying inconsistencies in their story. Ethical considerations must be taken into account when using speech analysis in interrogations.

It’s crucial to ensure the methods used are reliable and scientifically validated, and that the rights of the individuals being questioned are respected.

Additionally, potential bias or misinterpretation of results should be carefully addressed to avoid wrongful accusations or unfair treatment. While speech analysis is a valuable tool, it’s important to approach its use with caution and integrity.

Business Negotiations

Effective communication in business negotiations involves:

• Actively listening.
• Asking open-ended questions.
• Using clear and concise verbal communication.

Understanding body language is important for detecting hidden emotions and intentions, allowing negotiators to adjust their approach.

Common challenges in business negotiations include:

• Cultural differences.
• Language barriers.
• Power imbalances.

These challenges can be overcome through:

• Cultural sensitivity and awareness.
• Language proficiency.
• Using professional interpreters or translators.

Building rapport and trust with the other party can help to mitigate these challenges and create a more collaborative negotiation process.

Therapeutic Sessions

Therapeutic sessions often involve analyzing speech to identify patterns in tone and emotion. Techniques like tone analysis, voice inflection tracking, and emotional content recognition can help therapists understand clients’ emotional states and track mood changes. This analysis is beneficial for identifying stress or anxiety indicators and monitoring progress during therapy. It can also aid in diagnosing mental health conditions and support treatment plans with objective data.

Healthcare applications:  Speech analysis aids in medical diagnosis, patient monitoring, and treatment adherence.  (Source: HIMSS, 2023)

Understanding clients’ nonverbal communication through speech analysis leads to more effective and personalized therapy sessions for therapists and counselors.

How to Improve Speech Analysis Skills

Practice active listening.

To improve speech analysis skills, you can practice active listening. Give the speaker your full attention, maintain eye contact, and avoid distractions. Asking clarifying questions and summarizing key points can help deepen understanding and improve speech analysis.

Studying the speech patterns of influential speakers is also useful. Analyze the delivery, intonation, and body language of successful orators to gain valuable insights into effective communication techniques. Watch TED talks , political speeches, or presentations by renowned leaders to observe their speech patterns.

Active listening is important for speech analysis. It allows you to capture the nuances and intricacies of spoken language, such as tone, pitch, and pace.

By actively engaging with the speaker and paying attention to non-verbal cues, you can gain a thorough understanding of the message being conveyed. This enhances your ability to perform accurate and insightful speech analysis.

Study Speech Patterns of Influential Speakers

Studying the speech patterns of influential speakers can be done through various techniques:

• Transcribing and analyzing their speeches.
• Identifying repetitive sentence structures.
• Observing non-verbal communication cues.

This can provide valuable insights into effective communication strategies, improving public speaking skills, and building confidence when addressing an audience.

Speech analysis helps individuals recognize persuasive language, rhetorical devices, and effective pacing and intonation, allowing them to incorporate these elements into their speaking styles.

By studying the speech patterns of influential speakers, one can gain a deeper understanding of how to engage and captivate an audience, effectively convey ideas, and leave a lasting impression.

This analysis can be particularly beneficial for those in leadership or public-facing roles, as it provides a toolkit for enhancing communication and influence.

Famous Speeches and Their Analysis

I have a dream: speech analysis.

The “I Have a Dream” speech has powerful themes like equality, justice, and freedom. These themes are still important today. Martin Luther King Jr. conveys urgency and importance through his tone and emotion; he passionately delivers his message.

Researchers can analyze rhetoric, repetition, and metaphors to understand the speech’s intent. By dissecting King’s language and delivery, analysts can gain insight into his persuasive techniques and the impact of his words on the audience.

This approach enhances appreciation of the speech’s historical and cultural significance.

George Bush 9/11 Speech Rhetorical Analysis

George Bush used rhetorical devices to convey his message with impact in his 9/11 speech. The tone of the speech is solemn and determined, creating a sense of unity and resolve in the face of tragedy. Bush’s language is direct, empathetic, and inclusive, addressing the audience as “my fellow Americans” and emphasizing collective action and resilience.

The speech connects with the audience by acknowledging the nation’s grief and anger, while also emphasizing the need for strength and perseverance in adversity.

Key takeaways

Speech analysis involves breaking down spoken language into individual components. This helps understand aspects like phonetics, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

The process includes recording, transcribing, and analyzing speech using specialized software and linguistic knowledge. It aims to identify patterns, errors, and speech disorders, and gain insights into language acquisition and communication.

Advanced techniques like acoustic analysis and spectrograms are used to further examine and understand speech sounds.

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Mr. Waqas Sharif is an English Language Teaching (ELT) Professional, Trainer, and Course Instructor at a Public Sector Institute. He has more than ten years of Eng Language Teaching experience at the Graduate and Postgraduate level. His main interest is found in facilitating his students globally He wishes them to develop academic skills like Reading, Writing, and Communication mastery along with Basics of Functional Grammar, English Language, and Linguistics.

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A 9-Step Practical Guide On How To Analyze A Speech – Speech Analysis of I have A Dream Speech as an Example

A speech, as we all know, is a vocal opinion of a speaker’s stand. Speeches are usually used as an effective tool for rallying support, conveying opinion, as well as influencing the thoughts of others (usually the audience) to accept or agree with the thoughts of the Speaker.

However, in most cases, there is usually a need to consider what was not said in a speech, or what the motive of the Speaker was. For this reason, speech analysis comes in handy in order to have a full understanding of a speech.

What is Speech Analysis?

1. analyzing the purpose or intent of the speech.

For instance, a speech may be written to entertain the audience with some humorous lines, persuade the audience into thinking or agreeing with the opinion of the Speaker, or to inform the audience about something which the Speaker is skilled in.

2. The target audience and how the Speech relates to them

Also of paramount importance during speech analysis is  taking note of who the target audience is, and how the Speech relates to the audience .

For instance, when analyzing a speech that was delivered to support the need for a pay rise in an organization, in that case, it will be expected that the audience listening to such a speech will be members of staff of the organization who are clamoring for a rise in their pay.

3. The effective and validity of the Speech 

Still using the same above example about a speech about a pay rise in an organization, the Speaker may have to include facts such as the agreed terms for a pay rise in the organization. 

The I Have A Dream Speech by Martin Luther King Jr (with Video+Audio+Full Transcript and Historical Context)

The Structure of a Speech

Introducing a speech with such powerful elements is an excellent way to give the audience reasons why they should listen to the Speaker, instead of starting with a dry  “hello everyone, it’s a great privilege to talk to you today.”

In the body of a speech, the Speaker should make necessary effort to ensure that all the facts and pieces of evidence presented in the Speech aligns with the primary objective of the Speech. As mentioned earlier, these facts and proofs should all be presented in a simple and clear language for the understanding of the audience.

The concluding part of a speech also packs as much power as the other two parts mentioned earlier. 

Also, in the conclusion of a speech, the Speaker should be concise about what he expects from the audience, whether it is for a petition to be signed, requesting their support, for a product to be bought, or for some other specific actions from the audience as contained in the Speech. 

How to Analyze and Interpret a Speech? 9 Key Questions to effective speech Analysis.

However, when analyzing a speech, don’t feel satisfied by merely outline these nine important questions in the Speech and answering them. Instead, there should be a complementary explanation or example of how these nine key questions work using a speech as an example. So, in analyzing a speech, here are the 9 key questions you must give appropriate answers to for effective speech analysis .

1. Who is the Speaker?

In analyzing a speech, you have to consider who is the Speaker, and how does the Speaker’s rank, position, personal views, motives, or experience affect the Speech.

2. Who is/are the Audience?

3. what is the type of speech.

In this regard, the Speech delivered might be one that is intended to inform or educate the audience, entertain, or even persuade the audience to take certain steps of action.

4. What is the Structure of the Speech?

5. what is the purpose of the speech.

Like I mentioned earlier, every Speech is usually aimed at achieving a purpose. For some, the purpose might be to persuade the audience, entertain, or even to open the eyes of the audience about a piece of information they are yet to know.

6. What is the Content/Circumstances of the Speech

In evaluating the content and circumstances of a speech, you consider the events that have created the need for the Speech. In doing this, you may have to pay closer attention to specific elements such as;  

7. What are the Techniques used by the Speaker?

Techniques employed by the Speaker are usually the various modes of persuasion, in which the Speaker adopts. These techniques are also known as rhetorical appeals , and they are ways of persuading the audience to believe the Speaker’s point of view.

8. Is the Intention of the Speech Achieved?

By analyzing a speech to see whether or not it has achieved its purpose, you may have to carry out some evaluations to ascertain if the Speech was successful.

9. What is the overall result of the analysis of the Speech?

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The 4 Methods or Types of Speech Delivery

The 7 basic elements of public speaking.

Remember that time you had to present a topic in front of a crowd? Probably it was a proposal at work or an oral report in grade school. You took the time to prepare and gather materials, after which you climbed the podium and started talking. There are seven basic elements of public speaking that…

An Easy Guide to All 15 Types of Speech

Analyzing the i have a dream speech by martin luther king jr.

In a bid to have a full understanding of how the various questions that should be considered when carrying out speech analysis work, we shall be considering the heroic Speech delivered by a civil rights leader – Martin Luther King Jr, on August 28, 1963, in front of the Lincoln Memorial Mall. 

Before we go straight into the analysis of the “ I Have A Dream ” Speech, let’s take a quick look at the context of the Speech. 

Related Article: The I Have A Dream Speech by Martin Luther King Jr (with Video+Audio+Full Transcript and Historical Context)

Alternatively, you can just watch the 17 minutes full Speech through the link below;

The Speaker, in this case, is Martin Luther King Jr, who is a prominent negro civil rights activist fighting to secure freedom and emancipation for his fellow negroes.

However, it is evident that members of media were present to cover the event, and so it is obvious that the Speech was open to everyone who could have access to a live stream of the Speech

“And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

He started by reminding his fellow negroes about the history of the emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln.

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.”

“But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.”

“And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that: Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.”

From the content of Dr. King’s Speech, it is very obvious that the purpose of the Speech was to persuade the American government in 1963 to sign and enact the civil rights law that will bring absolute freedom and emancipation to the African American amongst them.

“We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquillizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children.”

“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote, and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

Also worthy of note and analysis is the geographical location where the Speech was delivered and the choice of such location. 

In this case, Martin Luther’s Speech was delivered at the Lincoln National Mall, just in front of the statue of Abraham Lincoln. And the choice of this place was to bring to mind the fact that about 100 years ago, Abraham Lincoln, whose statue is right behind the Speaker, signed the Emancipation Proclamation of the negroes in America.

“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.”

“I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest — quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering.”

Dr. King also employed logos to give data and figures that will support his call for the emancipation of the African Americans.

“Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.”

I also noted the use of irony to express the supposed reasons why the negroes are undergoing injustice and segregation in America.

“But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we’ve come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

Although the Speech wasn’t intended to convince or persuade the audience to accept or agree to the need for the emancipation of the negro, since the majority of the audience who present during the Speech were all civil rights activists protesting for the passage of the civil rights law.

In summary, I think that the “I Have A Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr was a timely call for the freedom of the negroes in America after the successful completion of 100 years after the emancipation proclamation by Abraham Lincoln.

The choice of the geographical location for the Speech was apt, and it was the perfect place to call to mind the emancipation proclamation for the negroes.

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How to Write a Critical Analysis of a Speech

How to Set Up a Rhetorical Analysis

Whether you’re a student or a seasoned professional, the ability to critically analyze a speech is an essential skill for speakers. Understanding the components of a speech and what makes those components successful can help you deliver a speech that your audience finds engaging and enlightening.

Understanding the Different Types of Speeches

When critiquing a speech, you first need to understand the objective of the speech. There are three primary types of speeches: to inform, to persuade or to entertain. Informative speeches are typically rooted in facts and statistics or focus on “how-to” topics. For instance, many TED Talks are informative speeches.

Persuasive speeches also use facts and statistics but use that information to convince an audience to change their behavior or take a certain action. Finally, speeches that are meant to entertain are often those delivered at weddings or social gatherings. They’re often funny or self-deprecating and are populated with anecdotes.

Know Your Audience

Another critical aspect of speech analysis is understanding the audience. Is this a formal setting where your audience expects a serious, informative tone? Is the audience a group of people who are impassioned about a particular subject and could be hostile if you’re trying to change their minds? Is your audience an informal gathering of people who expect a light-hearted or amusing delivery?

You wouldn’t have a person with no sense of humor host a convention for comedians. Likewise, you wouldn’t have a comedian lead a convention for physicians who are discussing breakthroughs in cancer research. Knowing your audience can mean the difference between a successful speech and one that fails.

Know What You’re Analyzing

Once you know the objective of the speech, you’ll need to know what to analyze. In "Rhetoric," ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that all great speeches share three pillars of rhetoric: logos, pathos and ethos.

While typically applied to persuasive speeches, these three elements are critical for any speech. Logos is the meaning, the reasoning and the logical evidence the speaker uses. Pathos is the words, phrases and personal stories a speaker uses to elicit emotion, and ethos is the credibility and trustworthiness of the speaker. In other words, does the speaker have expertise in this particular subject?

Evaluating a Speech

Critical speech analysis should revolve around the three pillars. As you analyze, you’ll need to determine whether the speech maker is using enough facts and logical evidence to establish credibility.

For instance, if a speaker is delivering information on protecting the environment, is he using credibly sourced facts to support his statements, or is he speaking in generalities? Is he using words, phrases and personal anecdotes that elicit emotion from the audience, or is he using vague words that have no emotional impact?

Finally, through education or background, is the speaker qualified to be speaking on this particular subject? Is she passionate about the subject, or is she coming across as a boring, monotone speaker? Is she using appropriate gestures and body language? Is her voice clear and loud enough to be heard? Finally, is her tone appropriate for the audience?

Use a Speech Analysis Rubric

A rubric can be an effective tool to help you analyze a speech, as it can help you assign a numeric value to each specific component of a speech. If you’re analyzing a speech for a classroom assignment, you’ll likely be given a rubric from which to work. If not, you can easily find one online by searching for “critical speech analysis rubric.”

Many readily available rubrics focus on aspects of Aristotle’s rhetoric by addressing a speech’s structure, format, research, delivery and style and will help you determine whether the speech was appropriate for its particular audience and met its overarching goals.

How to Write an Analysis of a Speech

If you’re working on the critical analysis of a speech for a class assignment, you’ll likely need to complete a written assignment to accompany your assessment. As with any other essay, a written analysis of a speech should include a strong introduction and clear thesis statement, several body paragraphs with topic sentences and strong transitions that clearly support your analysis and an effective conclusion that summarizes your critique.

Be sure that the essay is free of grammar and spelling mistakes and typos. As with any piece of writing, it’s always helpful to have another person review it before you publish it or submit it for a grade.

Related Articles

How to Write a Speech Essay

How to Write About Irony in a Literary Essay

Help to Do a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

How to Write a Speech Proposal

What Are the Causes of Communication Failure?

Speech Vs. Essay

How to Determine the Tone of an Essay

How to Establish Credibility in an Informative Speech

• Brigham Young University: Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis

Jennifer Brozak earned her state teaching certificate in Secondary English and Communications from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Pittsburgh. A former high school English teacher, Jennifer enjoys writing articles about parenting and education and has contributed to Reader's Digest, Mamapedia, Shmoop and more.

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How to Conduct a Speech Analysis and Present It Like a Pro

Who doesn't dream of delivering the perfect speech? Every person who speaks in front of a crowd wants to leave them moved. However, not everyone can do that.

Even the greatest speakers have worked for years to master the art of public speaking . Although we may not know their secret, we can learn a lot from their work. That's where speech analysis helps. Let's find out what it is and how to benefit from it.

What Is Speech Analysis?

You probably know the standard definition already – it is a process of studying a speech's good, bad, and pain points. However, what does it have to offer to you?

In essence, speech analysis means understanding the useful information in the speech and setting it aside from what isn't handy. For instance, a renowned speaker comes on stage to deliver a speech , and you have to perform a speech analysis – what will you look for?

You will observe the speaker's gestures, body language , confidence, usage of terms, sentence structure, quality of speech, proper delivery of the message, and much more.

This plethora of factors contributes to a single word called speech analysis. Now that you know what it is, let's have a comprehensive look into these factors.

How Does Speech Analysis Work?

For analyzing a speech, the first thing you need is information.

You need to know the perfect way to begin the speech , convey the message and give an immediate call to action.

You also must identify where the speaker is wrong and what was lacking in the speech.

For instance, if the targeted audience is teenagers, you should be able to tell if the humor and jokes used were appropriate. Was the speech engaging or lackluster? Did the audience understand the message?

Let's see what these aspects entail below.

Introduction of the Speech Analysis

First thing's first, add an introduction. It usually begins with a hook, something to entice the reader. Then it mentions the time and place of the speech, followed by an overview of the address.

Next, you need to mention the speaker, the topic, and the key points of the speech.

Body of the Analysis

Once done with the analysis, you need to begin crafting the body. This includes some special and some general details of the content and delivery, and writing them in a critique manner.

Usually, this begins with a certain action of the speaker, like tone, gesture , or emotion.

The description of some of the common factors is given below.

Identify the Objective of Speech

The purpose plays the most important part here as it is the deciding factor of the nature of the speech.

Is it an entertainment speech with a few jokes and funny lines here and there or an educational speech delivering quality information?

Was it a script written to motivate the audience for a bigger cause? Was it delivered in a manner to promote a product among the audience?

What is the message being conveyed? If it promotes peace and equality and focuses on making the world a better place, your analysis should consider that.

Similarly, identify if the person delivering the speech is the right person for the job. He must deliver the speech perfectly or at least achieve the purpose set.

Once you get your head around these points, making an analysis becomes easy.

Be Mindful of the Target Audience

A good speaker knows that a speaking style used for 50 cannot be used for 2000 people. Similarly, the tone or technique used with business leaders cannot be used with homemakers.

You need to see how well the topic resonates with the audience and how engaged they are.

Say a spokesperson delivers a speech about leading SEO strategies in 2022. The audience will comprise people familiar with digital marketing or those who want to learn it.

It will include related terms, anecdotes, stories , facts, and stats that will bind the audience to the topic.

For the speech analysis, you must also consider if the speech is being broadcasted to an external audience on streaming platforms.

Bring in the Juicy Part: Content of the Speech

The heading says it all.

We cannot stress enough. The content of the speech is by far the most vital part of the script. It can make or break the overall mood.

The Opening: Pay special attention to the opening of the speech. Usually, a hook, controversial statement, or question is used to garner the audience's attention.

An interactive, intuitive opening is much preferred to a dry opening, saying, "Hello everyone, thank you for having me."

The Main Body: Once you write all this down, move on to the body of the content. You need to deduce if the topic was authoritative. Did it include a particular focus on the subject matter? Did it have stories and facts that connected back to the issue?

How did the speaker transition from point to point ?

Speech analysis also requires you to check if statistics or visuals were used to support the arguments. It is better to use graphics to convey the message better, and you need to study if they did the work. You must analyze how well the speech was constructed and organized efficiently.

The Ending Words: Lastly, determine how valuable, memorable, and well defined the ending of the speech was.

Was it concise? Did the review do justice to the speech? Did it list the good and bad parts of the speech? These points will make up for a strong conclusion influencing the reader's mind that you have a strong hold on the subject here.

These were the main three points of speech content; the opening, body, and conclusion. This is an easy approach to follow and can help you with speech analysis quickly.

Observe Style and Delivery Manner

In scripting and speaking, the delivery style and techniques are the best tools, provided you know when and how to use them.

When analyzing a speech, you must view the speech from a critic's perspective. Observe the mood and vibe of the audience during the speech.

Were people bored or engaged ? Was the session interactive? Did it teach you something you didn't know?

These questions will tell you the experience of the audience. Try putting yourself in the audience's shoes, and you will understand how useful it was for them.

Next, observe the speaker.

Was he nervous ? Did he know what he was saying? Often at such times, the body language communicates the confidence of the speaker .

You may also notice the stage area used by the speaker. Did he pace around the stage or stand in one place? All these factors determine the speaker's delivery style and make a significant portion of the analysis.

Determine Correct Usage of Visuals

Yet another critical factor of speech analysis; determining the proper use of visuals. This adds so much life and energy to the speech. The experience becomes more realistic.

According to research, more than 67% of people feel more inclined and engaged in speeches that include visuals.

This is generally true too. An average person would enjoy a speech with infographics, charts, images, short clips, and figures rather than a dull, verbal presentation.

You need to see if the speaker used sufficient visual aids and whether they were succinct in delivering the message.

Did the visuals complement the speech? Were they fun and easy to understand? Did the audience like and engage with them?

Observing these during the speech will make the analysis quick and condensed.

Consider Language and Choice of Words

Since language and words are the modes of communication for the speaker here, it is essential to know how he uses them.

Say the topic is about the best places to buy Bitcoin. You now need to see if the speaker uses the proper terms to address the topic.

Does he explain the concept of Crypto and how it works? Does he tell how Bitcoin reached fame and all its background?

That makes for the comprehensiveness of the topic.

Next, inspect the use of language. Is it appropriate for the audience? Does it use slang words, or is it too bland? Are the terms difficult to understand?

A fine point to make in your speech analysis would be the flow of the speech. In this, you can mention how fast or slow the speaker was.

His articulation of words , the length of sentences, and their ease of understanding. You can also mention the uniqueness or repetitiveness of words, sentences, ideas, or rhetorical devices in the speech .

The only way you can do justice to a speech analysis is by mentioning every good and bad point of the speaker.

Sound Experience

You might wonder why this is important – truth be told, this is an essential factor in crafting a speech analysis. How you hear something tells your mind how to perceive it.

For example, you purchase an online course.

As soon as you hear the tutor's voice, you feel annoyed and request a refund. Why?

Because the first thing your brain captured was the voice of the video playing in your mind, it might have been too sharp, distorted, or garbled for you to hear.

The same is the case with a speech; what you hear and how you hear influence your willingness to listen to the script .

So, you must include how well the speakers worked in your speech analysis. The pitch of the sound, how easy it was to hear and discern the words of the speaker.

This section in the analysis could also use the speaking pace of the reader. Additionally, talk about how the speaker paused after regular intervals to create suspense, arouse excitement, express grief, make a remark or add value to his words.

You will feel special if someone looks you in the eye while you speak – so does the audience. Being a critic and speech analyst, you must observe how the speaker makes eye contact with the audience.

Does he shy away? Does he smile while making direct contact? Or does he keep looking elsewhere, avoiding the audience?

Adding all these points to your analysis will give it leverage over the others.

Gestures also include the movements and timings of the speaker. Did he use his hand to add energy and influence to his words? Were the gestures natural or forced? Were they distracting?

This part won't take up as much space or information but can help identify the right person.

Conclusion of the Speech Analysis

The conclusion is the final part of the analysis, where you summarize the speech and write an ending note.

Say you heard a speech about a woman who lost her husband to the DEA agents. She told with extreme pain and grief how they encountered him and shot him at point blank.

Now here's how you can write its conclusion:

"Samantha's speech engulfed me and the entire audience the moment she began her story. It hooked me, and I could feel her pain moving like waves in the hall and the audience.

However, I believe that the tone and pace should have been slightly lighter for my liking. Otherwise, the unfortunate incident with her husband didn’t allow her to control her emotions."

This will be your judgment and remarks that you acquired throughout the speech analysis. That makes up for a satisfactory conclusion to your speech analysis.

Final Verdict

You might find it challenging to analyze a speech at first, but once you learn the pain points, it's a child's game. Use the above factors to analyze your next speech and get an A+ on that assignment.

A good speech analysis manifests the intent, the audience, the content, the delivery style, visuals, and much more. Now that you know how speech analysis works, you're well versed with all the points.

That brings us to the end of this post. Happy Speaking!

Related: How to Give a Speech Evaluation in Toastmasters

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Speech Analysis #4: Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources

This article provides a speech evaluation form and explains how it supports you in studying and evaluating speeches.

• How to Study and Critique a Speech
• The Art of Delivering Evaluations
• Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
• Evaluation Forms, Tools, and Resources
• Toastmasters Evaluation Contests

Speech Evaluation Form

First things first… download a copy of the free speech evaluation form .

I created this form for use in Toastmasters Evaluation Contests (a topic of a future article here), but I have since used it as a general purpose speech evaluation template.

Why this speech evaluation tool may work for you…

• It is simple — one single-sided page.
• Lots of white space , to facilitate taking notes.
• Flexible . The labels and boxes are not tied to any particular style of speech, e.g. speaking to inform
• Rows recognize the three broad areas to be analyzed: impact, content, and delivery . These are in order of importance from top to bottom.
• The critical nature of the Opening and Closing is recognized with dedicated rows on the form.
• Two columns emphasize the necessity to recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of a speech or speaker.
• Evaluation Opening and Evaluation Summation are for notes which lead to an oral evaluation (e.g. in Toastmasters). They can be ignored if you are analyzing the speech in a different context.

An alternate speech evaluation template…

It is wonderfully simple , consisting of just two rows (Content, Delivery) and three columns (I felt, I saw, I heard). “Content – I Saw” might include things like props or slideware, while “Delivery – I Saw” might cover gestures or facial expressions. This template allowed him to effectively analyze the speech his way.

I strongly encourage you to develop a template that works for you. Maybe the examples here are perfect. Maybe they need a tweak. Maybe you need something entirely different as an aid to capture your thoughts and observations. Whatever the case, an evaluation template can help you.

Critiquing a Speech: Advice from the Blogosphere and Beyond

There’s some great advice elsewhere in the public speaking blogosphere and elsewhere on speech evaluation:

• How to Give a Killer Evaluation : lifehack.org
• Speech Self Critique Guide : Navy Speakers Bureau
• Evaluation Resources from Toastmasters New Zealand Includes “step-by-step approach” to speech evaluation, 10 steps to becoming an evaluation champion.
• Evaluation Template – Wendy Betteridge (PDF)
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Evaluators: Dr. Dilip Abayasekera, former Toastmasters International President

Next in the Speech Analysis Series

The next article in the series is Toastmasters Evaluation Contests .

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• Speech Analysis #3: Modified Sandwich Technique for Evaluations
• Speech Analysis #1: How to Study and Critique a Speech
• Speech Analysis #2: The Art of Delivering Evaluations
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Extremely great helpful tips Andrew

Time and time again I find myself at your site for help on my toastmasters path. Keep up the great work! I really do appreciate the work you do.

Awesome speech evaluation form. I used it at the division level of the evaluation competition and won. I segregated your areas into 3 categories – content, delivery and presence. It made a world of difference.

Thanks for sharing.

found this very helpful in preparation and practice for an english exam, thanks~

this is an excellent evaluation form. It is concise, yet flexible. I will be using it for my Advanced Toastmasters Club. thank you for making this available to others.

Hi Andrew, Your website is very informative and helpful. Just want to let you know the link below in this article does not work. ■Evaluation Template – Wendy Betteridge [PDF] Joshua

Thanks for letting me know, Joshua. I have replaced the link with an alternate resource.

Might you have a copy of the free speech evaluation form found in part 4 in pdf format to forward to me? Somehow, I am unable to download the form.

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Analysing Speeches

Rhetorical Appeals Video 

One of the most common ways to analyse a speech is by looking at its rhetorical appeals. Watch the video to learn more about this, and remember that logical appeals can also be labelled as such: 

Pathos - Pathetic Appeal 

Logos - Logical Appeal 

Ethos - Ethical Appeal

Also, because speeches are non-literary texts, we can see how real-world things are depicted for Level Two Analysis

An Example of Analysing Rhetoric

Read this example of analysing Barack Obama's speech, 'Remarks by the President in Address to the Nation on Immigration'. As you read it, pay attention to the line of analysis. When we analyse speeches, we often consider the target audience or purpose of the text in out Level Three Analysis.

Dig Deeper - Rhetoric

Click the image to follow access some extra material related to graphic novels. Use these resources to deepen your understanding of the different ways in which authors develop meaning in speeches.

Extra Practice

Rhetoric Analysis Practice

Rhetorical Appeals in Ads Worksheet  

Back to Text Types

My Favorite Speeches for Rhetorical Analysis: 10 Speeches for Middle School ELA and High School English

Teaching rhetorical analysis is one of my absolute favorite units to complete with my students. I love teaching my students about rhetorical strategies and devices, analyzing what makes an effective and persuasive argument, and reading critical speeches with my students. Here is a quick list of some of my favorite speeches for rhetorical analysis.

I absolutely LOVE teaching rhetorical analysis. I think it might be one of my favorite units to teach to my high school students. There are just so many different text options to choose from. Here is a list of some of my favorite speeches to include in my rhetorical analysis teaching unit.

10 Speeches for Teaching Rhetorical Analysis

1. the gettysburg address (abraham lincoln).

Some notable things to mention in this speech include allusion and parallel structure. To make your analysis more meaningful, point out these devices to students and explain how these devices enhance the meaning of the text.

Teaching Resource : The Gettysburg Address Rhetorical Analysis Activity Packet

2. Lou Gehrig’s Farewell Speech (Lou Gehrig)

This speech is one that many of my athletes love to analyze, and it is an excellent exemplar text to teach pathos. And like The Gettysburg Address, it is short. This is another speech that you can read, analyze, and even write about in one class period.

When I use this speech in my class, I have students look for examples of pathos. Mainly, I have them look at word choice, tone, and mood. How does Lou Gehrig’s choice of words affect his tone and the overall mood of the speech?

3. I Have a Dream (Martin Luther King,  Jr.)

In the classroom, it is important to point out the sermonic feel to the speech and also to have your students look for calls to action and pathos. Have your students look for tone, allusions, and word choice to help them notice these rhetoric expressions throughout it.

Teaching Resource : I Have a Dream Close Read and Rhetorical Analysis

4. Speech at the March on Washington (Josephine Baker)

This is another important speech that held a lot of importance for the changes that needed to be made in America. The speech is a shorter one, so in the classroom, it will not take as long to analyze it, and students can understand the significance of the use of rhetoric in a shorter amount of time than some other speeches.

When teaching this speech, I like to remind my students to search for devices that portray an excellent example of the pathos that is so present in this speech. Some of these devices could be mood, repetition, and diction.

5. Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech (Steve Jobs)

In class, it is good to have your students annotate and analyze the speech just as they have done for the others. The organization of the speech will help them to notice the similarities and differences between each point Jobs makes.

6. Space Shuttle Challenger (Ronald Reagan)

This speech represents a strong sense of pathos as a movement to help the American people cope with loss after the deaths of the astronauts aboard the Challenger. It is another speech that is not too long, so it should not take a long time to both analyze and annotate the entire speech.

When teaching this speech in class, be sure to mention how pathos is the driving force behind the speech, through the tone and the diction. How does Reagan use emotion to focus on the astronauts as humans, rather than solely focusing on the tragedy?

7. The Perils of Indifference (Elie Wiesel)

This speech is a good one to teach because it both makes students question their own lives, but also how the world works. The speech relies on pathos, and a little ethos too, to get the audience to feel the full effect of the tragedy of the Holocaust and what the speaker went through. It is a long speech so it may take longer for the students to fully grasp all the details that make it such a persuasive speech.

When I teach this speech, I like to have students annotate every place they notice an example of pathos, and then have them explain why in their annotations this makes them feel an emotion. The same with the ethos, and then we can further analyze the rest together.

8. 9/11 Address to the Nation (George W. Bush)

This speech shows another example of the use of pathos in the midst of a tragedy. The President wanted to show the American people how much he was feeling for those lost in the tragedy of 9/11. It is not a long speech, but the amount of emotion within the words is significant for students to notice.

When teaching this speech, it is essential that students look very closely at each part of it, noticing each piece that reveals tone, mood, and other literary devices. How do the different devices add to the pathos of the speech?

FREE TEACHING ACTIVITY : September 11 Address to the Nation Sampler

Teaching Resource : September 11 Address to the Nation Rhetorical Analysis Unit

9. We are Virginia Tech (Nikki Giovanni)

This speech is probably the shortest speech on this list but provides one of the most emotional and pathos-filled rhetoric. This describes another tragedy that is spoken about with pathos to give the audience a safe feeling after such an emotional thing. Students can spend time analyzing the different devices that make the piece so strong in its emotion.

In the classroom, make sure your students make a note of the repetition, and what that does for the speech. Does it make the emotion more impactful? How does it make the audience feel like they are a part of something bigger?

10. Woman’s Right to the Suffrage (Susan B. Anthony)

This is another short speech that holds a lot of power within it. A lot of students will enjoy reading this to see how much the country has changed, and how this speech may have some part in influencing this change. It is a great speech to help teach logos in the classroom, and it will not take a long time to analyze.

Make sure your students notice, and they also understand, the use of allusions within the speech. These allusions help to establish the use of logos, as Anthony wants the use of American historical documents to show how logical her argument is.

Ready-For-You Rhetorical Analysis Teaching Unit

You might also be interested in my blog post about 15 rhetorical analysis questions to ask your students.

Teaching rhetorical analysis and speeches in the classroom is a great way to teach informational text reading standards.

Rhetorical Analysis Teaching Resources:

These resources follow reading standards for informational text and are ideal for secondary ELA teachers.

• Rhetorical Analysis Unit with Sticky Notes
• Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Understanding Rhetorical Appeals\
• Rhetorical Analysis Mini Flip Book

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The Visual Communication Guy

Learn Visually. Communicate Powerfully.

• About The VCG
• Contact Curtis
• Five Paragraph Essay
• IMRaD (Science)
• Indirect Method (Bad News)
• Inverted Pyramid (News)
• Martini Glass
• Narrative Format
• Rogerian Method
• Toulmin Method
• Apostrophes
• Exclamation Marks (Points)
• Parentheses
• Periods (Full Stops)
• Question Marks
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• APPEALS: ETHOS, PATHOS, LOGOS
• CLUSTER ANALYSIS
• FANTASY-THEME
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• O.P.T.I.C. (VISUAL ANALSYIS)
• S.O.A.P.S.T.O.N.E. (WRITTEN ANALYSIS)
• S.P.A.C.E.C.A.T. (RHETORICAL ANALYSIS)
• BRANCHES OF ORATORY
• FIGURES OF SPEECH
• FIVE CANONS
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• Information Design Rules
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• ADVENTURE APPEAL
• BRAND APPEAL
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• MASCULINE & FEMININE APPEAL
• MUSIC APPEAL
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• PLAIN APPEAL
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• RATIONAL APPEAL
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• SCARCITY APPEAL
• SNOB APPEAL
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• YOUTH APPEAL
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SOAPStone Strategy for Written Analysis

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. 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. See the graphic here, or read the description in larger text below.

Related: See the OPTIC Strategy for Visual Analysis

STEP 1: 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?

STEP 2: 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?

STEP 3: 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?

STEP 4: 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?

STEP 5: 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?

STEP 6: 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?

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Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments

• Resources & Preparation
• Instructional Plan
• Related Resources

Traditionally, teachers have encouraged students to engage with and interpret literature—novels, poems, short stories, and plays. Too often, however, the spoken word is left unanalyzed, even though the spoken word has the potential to alter our space just as much than the written. After gaining skill through analyzing a historic and contemporary speech as a class, students will select a famous speech from a list compiled from several resources and write an essay that identifies and explains the rhetorical strategies that the author deliberately chose while crafting the text to make an effective argument. Their analysis will consider questions such as What makes the speech an argument?, How did the author's rhetoric evoke a response from the audience?, and Why are the words still venerated today?

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From Theory to Practice

Nearly everything we read and hear is an argument. Speeches are special kinds of arguments and should be analyzed as such. Listeners should keep in mind the context of the situation involving the delivery and the audience-but a keen observer should also pay close attention to the elements of argument within the text. This assignment requires students to look for those elements.

"Since rhetoric is the art of effective communication, its principles can be applied to many facets of everyday life" (Lamb 109). It's through this lesson that students are allowed to see how politicians and leaders manipulate and influence their audiences using specific rhetorical devices in a manner that's so effective that the speeches are revered even today. It's important that we keep showing our students how powerful language can be when it's carefully crafted and arranged.

Further Reading

Common Core Standards

This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.

State Standards

This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.

NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts

• 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
• 4. Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
• 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
• 7. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. They gather, evaluate, and synthesize data from a variety of sources (e.g., print and nonprint texts, artifacts, people) to communicate their discoveries in ways that suit their purpose and audience.

Materials and Technology

• ReadWriteThink Notetaker
• Teacher Background and Information Sheet
• Student Assignment Sheet
• List of Speeches for Students
• Queen Elizabeth I’s Speech with Related Questions
• Historical Speech Research Questions
• Peer Response Handout
• Essay Rubric

This website contains audio of the Top 100 speeches of all time.

Included on this site is audio of famous speeches of the 20th century, as well as information about the speeches and background information on the writers.

The "Great Speeches Collection" from The History Place are available here in print and in audio.

This website includes information on finding and documenting sources in the MLA format.

Preparation

• Review the background and information sheet for teachers to familiarize yourself with the assignment and expectations.  Consider your students' background with necessary rhetorical terms such as claims, warrants, the appeals (logos, pathos, ethos), and fallacies; and rhetorical devices such as tone, diction, figurative language, repetition, hyperbole, and understatement. The lesson provides some guidance for direct instruction on these terms, but there are multiple opportunities for building or activating student knowledge through modeling on the two speeches done as a class.
• Check the links to the online resources (in Websites section) make sure that they are still working prior to giving out this assignment.
• Decide whether you want to allow more than one student to analyze and write about the same speech in each class.
• Look over the  List of Speeches for Students to decide if there are any that you would like to add.
• Look over the suggested Essay Rubric and determine the weights you would like to assign to each category.  For example, you might tell students that Support and Research may be worth three times the value of Style. Customize the Essay Rubric to meet the learning goals for your students.
• Reserve the library for Session Three so the students can do research on their speeches.
• President Obama’s Inauguration Speech.
• Former President Bush’s Defends War in Iraq Speech.
• Former President Bush’s 9/11 Speech.
• Former President Clinton’s “I Have Sinned” Speech.

Student Objectives

Students will

• analyze a speech for rhetorical devices and their purpose.
• identify an author’s purposeful manipulation of language.
• identify elements of argument within a speech.
• write an analysis of a speech with in-text documentation.

Session One

• Begin the lesson by asking students what needs to be present in order for a speech to occur. Though the question may seem puzzling—too hard, or too simple—at first, students will eventually identify, as Aristotle did, the need for a speaker, a message, and an audience.
• The class should discuss audience and the importance of identifying the audience for speeches, since they occur in particular moments in time and are delivered to specific audiences. This is a good time to discuss the Rhetorical Triangle (Aristotelian Triad) or discuss a chapter on audience from an argumentative textbook. You may wish to share information from the ReadWriteThink.org lesson Persuasive Techniques in Advertising and  The Rhetorical Triangle from The University of Oklahoma.
• Next distribute Queen Elizabeth’s speech to the troops at Tilbury and use the speech and its historical context as a model for the processes students will use on the speech they select. Provide a bit of background information on the moment in history.
• Then, as a class, go over  Queen Elizabeth’s speech and discuss the rhetorical devices in the speech and the purpose for each one. Adjust the level of guidance you provide, depending on your students' experiences with this type of analysis. The questions provide a place to start, but there are many other stylistic devices to discuss in this selection.

Discuss the audience and the author’s manipulation of the audience. Consider posing questions such as

• This is a successful speech.  Why?
• Elizabeth uses all of the appeals – logos, pathos, and ethos – to convince all of her listeners to fight for her from the loyal follower to the greedy mercenary.  How?
• The tone shifts throughout the selection.  Where?  But more importantly, why?

Martin Luther King, Jr. uses an appeal to pathos in his “I Have a Dream” speech through his historical allusion to Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” This is particularly effective for his audience of people sympathetic to the cause of African American men and women who would have been especially moved by this particular reference since it had such a significant impact on the lives of African Americans.

Session Two

• Continue the work from the previous session by distributing the  Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments handout and discussing the assignment and what it requires. See the  background and information sheet for teachers for more details.
• Tell students they will be getting additional practice with analyzing a speech as an argument by showing a short  10-minute clip of a presidential speech . Ask students to think about how the particular moment in history and the national audience contribute to the rhetorical choices made by the speaker.
• Lead a discussion of the speech as an argument with regard to purpose and intent. Work with students to identify warrants, claims, and appeals.
• Ask students to consider how the author manipulates the audience using tone, diction, and stylistic devices. What rhetorical devices aided the author’s manipulation of his audience? Discuss a particular rhetorical device that the President used and the purpose it served.
• Share the Essay Rubric and explain to students the expectations for success on this assignment.
• Allow students to select a speech from the List of Speeches for Students . If they wish to preview any of the speeches, they can type the speaker's name and the title of the speech into a search engine and should have little difficulty finding it.

Session Three

• Take the students to the library and allow them to research their speeches. They should locate their speech and print a copy for them to begin annotating for argumentative structure and rhetorical devices.
• What was the speaker up against?  What is the occasion for the speech?
• What did the author have to keep in mind when composing the text?  
• What were his or her goals?  
• What was his or her ultimate purpose?  
• What was his or her intent?
• Remind students that the writer of the speech is sometimes not the person who delivered the speech, for example, and this will surprise some students. Many people assume that the speaker (president, senator, etc.) is always the writer, and that’s not always the case, so ask your students to check to see who wrote the speech. (They might be surprised at the answer. There’s always a story behind the composition of the speech.)
• Help students find the author of the speech because this will challenge some students. Oftentimes, students assume the speaker is the author, and that’s sometimes not the case. Once the speechwriter is identified, it is easier to find information on the speech. Help students find the history behind the speech without getting too bogged down in the details. They need to understand the climate, but they do not need to be complete experts on the historical details in order to understand the elements of the speech.
• If they wish, students can use the ReadThinkWrite Interactive Notetaker to help them track their notes for their essays. Remind them that their work cannot be saved on this tool and should be printed by the end of the session so they can use it in future work.
• For Session Four, students must bring a thesis, an outline, and all of their research materials to class for a workday. Remind them to refer to the Analyzing Famous Speeches as Arguments , the Essay Rubric , and any notes they may have taken during the first two sessions as they begin their work.
• The thesis statement should answer the following question: What makes this speech an effective argument and worthy of making this list?

Session Four

• Set up students in heterogeneous groups of four. Ask students to share their outlines and thesis statements.
• Go around to check and to monitor as students share their ideas and progress. The students will discuss their speeches and their research thus far.
• Have students discuss the elements of an argument that they plan on addressing.
• Finally, have students work on writing their papers by writing their introductions with an enticing “grab” or “hook.” If time permits, have students share their work. 
• For Session Five, students should bring in their papers. This session would happen in about a week.

Session Five

• In this session, students will respond each other's drafts using the Peer Response Handout .
• Determine and discuss the final due date with your students. Direct students to Diana Hacker’s MLA site for assistance with their citations if necessary. 
• Remind students that their work will be evaluate using the essay rubric .  They should use the criteria along with the comments from their peer to revise and polish their work.
• During the process of analyzing  Queen Elizabeth I’s Speech , consider showing the related scene from the film Elizabeth: The Golden Age . Though the text of the speech is drastically cut and altered, seeing one filmmaker's vision for the scene may help reinforce the notion of historical context and the importance of audience.
• Allow students to read and/or perform parts of the speeches out loud. Then, they can share some of their thinking about the argumentative structure and rhetorical devices used to make the speech effective. This activity could happen as part of the prewriting process or after essays have been completed.
• Require students to write a graduation speech or a speech on another topic. They can peruse print or online news sources to select a current event that interests them.  Have them choose an audience to whom they would deliver an argumentative speech.

Student Assessment / Reflections

• After peer response has taken place, use the essay rubric to provide feedback on student work. You may change the values of the different categories/requirements to better suit the learning goals for your classroom.
• Calendar Activities
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides

Students explore the ways that powerful and passionate words communicate the concepts of freedom, justice, discrimination, and the American Dream in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech.

While drafting a literary analysis essay (or another type of argument) of their own, students work in pairs to investigate advice for writing conclusions and to analyze conclusions of sample essays. They then draft two conclusions for their essay, select one, and reflect on what they have learned through the process.

Useful for a wide variety of reading and writing activities, this outlining tool allows students to organize up to five levels of information.

This strategy guide clarifies the difference between persuasion and argumentation, stressing the connection between close reading of text to gather evidence and formation of a strong argumentative claim about text.

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Literary Techniques for your Speech, with Examples Analyzed

March 2, 2021 - Dom Barnard

Planned use of language has a major impact on how your speech is received by the audience. Saying the right words at the right time, and in the right way, can achieve a specific impact.

Use language to achieve impact

Careful use of language has produced many powerful speeches over the years. Here are a few literary devices you can employ for your next speech.

Rhetorical Questions

Start your next presentation with an open question. It engages the audience and gets them thinking about your speech early on. Use questions throughout and leave pauses after, letting the audience think about an answer.

Pause at the Right Moment

This adds impact to sentence just before or after the pause. This is a good literary technique to use for the key message of your speech. Don’t be afraid to wait 3-5 seconds before speaking, adding maximum impact to your words.

Messages and words are remembered best in groups of three. The power of three is used in all aspects of speaking in public and by the media. Couple words in groups of three with alliteration for maximum impact, such as “They grew up with a long, lasting, love for each other.”

Repeat the Key Point

A technique used frequently by politicians, a word needs to be said on average 5 times before the audience begins to take in what is being said.

Dramatic Contrast

Contrasting two points, such as “Ten years ago we had a reputation for excellence. Today, we are in danger of losing that reputation.”

For additional literary techniques, check out these links:

• Stylistic Devices (Rhetorical Devices, Figures of Speech)
• BBC Literary Techniques

Spend time planning which of these language techniques you will use in your speech. You can add these in after your first draft of the speech has been written.

Two great speeches analyzed

1. martin luther king – i have a dream, transcript snippet.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification” — one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today! I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”

Literary devices and techniques used

Anaphora  – Repetition of the “I have a dream” phrase at the beginning of each sentence.

Metonymy  – The phrase “The let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia… Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee… Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi“, King uses these well-known racist locations to enhance his point.

Hyperbole  – King uses the words ‘all’ and ‘every’ many times, exaggerating his point, “when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city”

Alliteration  – used throughout the speech, alliterations add a poetic quality to the speech, for example this sentence “judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Amplification  – King repeats many of his points a second time, with greater emphasis and explanation the second time, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds.”

Speeches which mastered literary techniques

• Martin Luther King, Jr. – I Have A Dream
• Winston Churchill – We shall fight on the beaches
• John F. Kennedy – Inaugural Address
• Margaret Thatcher – The Lady’s Not For Turning
• Barack Obama – The Audacity Of Hope
• Elizabeth Gilbert – Your Creative Genius
• J. K. Rowling – Harvard Commencement Address

For addition detail on these speeches, check out  this article  on speeches that changed the world.

2. Winston Churchill – We shall fight on the beaches

Even though large tracts of Europe and many old and famous States have fallen or may fall into the grip of the Gestapo and all the odious apparatus of Nazi rule, we shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end.

We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be.

We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.

And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British Fleet, would carry on the struggle, until, in God’s good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.

Anaphora  – The repetition of the phrase “we shall fight” can be seen in the transcript snippet. This adds dramatic emphases on the words he is saying in these paragraphs.

Alliteration  – Churchill uses repetition of letters to emphasize the dark time Europe was in, “I see also the dull, drilled, docile, brutish masses of the Hun soldiery plodding on like a swarm of crawling locusts” and “your grisly gang who work your wicked will.”

Antistrophe  – The repetition of words at the end of successive sentences, “the love of peace, the toil for peace, the strife for peace, the pursuit of peace“.

Hypophora  – Churchill asks various questions and then answers them himself, “You ask, what is our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air” and “You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word, it is victory”.

Rule of Three  – Churchill uses this literary technique in many of his speeches, “This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning” and “Never before in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many, to so few”.

Easy to use literary techniques for your next speech

Rhetoric Question

Start your next speech with a rhetoric question – “Who here has used a virtual reality headset?”

Repetition of Phrase

Repeat a key phrase around 5 times throughout the speech, the phrase should be short – “Virtual reality is changing the world”.

Use the Rule of Three

Emphasize a product or service by describing it with three words – “Our software is faster, cheaper and easier to use”. For greatest impact on your audience, combine this with alliteration.

Ask a question then immediately answer it – “How many virtual reality headsets were sold last month? Over 2 million.”

A Step-by-Step Guide to Analysing English Texts (Textual Analysis Examples Included!)

Are you struggling to come up with an analysis for your English texts? There are a lot of steps involved in writing a textual analysis so it might feel a little daunting. You’re probably wondering where to even start! 

Well you’ve clicked on the right article! In this article, we’ll walk you through some easy steps to analyse English texts (with examples included!) so that you’re on your way to acing textual analysis in no time. 

What are you waiting for? Let’s dive in!

Step 1: Understand the Foundations of the Text Step 2: Identify Significant Themes Step 3: Choose Examples and Techniques Step 4: Carry Out Your Analysis Textual Analysis Examples

Step 1: Understand the Foundations of the Text 

The first thing you need to do when completing a textual analysis is to build a strong foundational understanding of the text. This will help you create a more nuanced and complex analysis later on! 

 #1: Make a Plot Summary 

One of the most important things to do is to make sure you understand what’s actually happening in the text! As you read your English text, make chapter/scene summaries with only the super important parts and compile them all together once you finish the text.

Edit this so that you end up with a short 1-2 page summary of the key events in the text. 

If you ever feel confused about what to include in the plot summary, try collaborating with a friend or check out plot summaries online! While it can be tempting to just copy paste online summaries, try to only use them as a reference and still make your own summary so that you understand it better. 

#2: Create Character Profiles

Characterisation is a pretty big part of English analysis and will be super important when analysing texts, so make sure you have a good understanding of the characters in your text! 

The best way to do this is to create character profiles for main characters. Your profile should include your character’s name, background, personality, and any other details that are important to the plot.

You should also include the character’s significance to the overall plot, such as the role they play, how they grow, and their relationships with other key characters . These profiles can also include some important quotes related to the character. 

Feel free to get creative with your character profiles! If you’re a visual learner, you can even add some sketches or pictures of what you think the characters look like! 

Want to see an example of textual analysis? Check out our guide to Mabo (2012) , Rachel Perkins’ 2012 film!

#3: Understand the Context

The context of the text and the composer is a very influential element of textual analysis. It can help you uncover the purpose of the author, the effect of the text, and some of the symbols, metaphors, and deeper meanings hidden in the text, which will allow you to formulate stronger arguments during your analysis. 

When you’re studying your text, the best way to contextualise it is to make note of the setting of the story including when and where it’s set.

Next, before reading or watching the text, do some research into the time period and country/place it’s set in. Take some notes about the social, political, cultural, and economic circumstances of that time and place. 

Now, do the same thing but with the context of the composer. Check out some author/director biographies and write down their background, when and where they lived, and how this might affect their perspective when composing the text. 

Step 2: Identify Significant Themes

Now that we have a good understanding of the text, it’s time to dig a little deeper! 

Literary themes are the underlying main ideas of a text. Themes are a lot more complex and sophisticated than the overall plot and narrative events of the text.

This is why it’s super important to look closely at literary themes! They can help provide structure and depth to your English analysis. 

Some easy ways to identify themes in English texts include exploring the language used, making note of characters and the plot, and looking out for motifs and symbols, which are images and ideas that appear repeatedly throughout the text. These can give you a good sense of what the composer is trying to express, which will help you identify key themes within the text. 

Some common literary themes interrogated by texts might include: 

• Coming of age
• Appearance VS Reality
• Good VS Evil

Step 3: Choose Examples and Techniques

You’re almost ready to jump into writing a comprehensive analysis! The only thing left to do is to choose your examples and techniques. 

Your examples are basically the evidence to support your argument, so it’s really important to choose strong and relevant examples! 

Quotes are typically what you use as examples in essays — check out our guide to finding quotes and using them in your writing !

When you’re choosing your examples, make sure you’re able to identify techniques within the example. Techniques help you to dig deeper into the meaning of the text that the composer’s trying to express and will really strengthen your argument!

Try to come up with at least two techniques for each example so that you can build a sophisticated and solid analysis.

If you’re finding it a bit tricky to identify techniques, check out our literary techniques cheat sheet , and our visual techniques cheat sheet!

The best way to organise your examples and techniques before starting any essays, exams or other assessments, is to write up a TEE (Technique, Example and Effect) Table. By creating a TEE Table, you’re practically breaking down an English paragraph into three columns, which are super easy to fill out.

This way, when you get around to carrying out your analysis during exams or assessments, you’ll know exactly which examples and techniques you want to use to support your thesis! 

Need help making your TEE Table? Read more about how to use a TEE Table !

Step 4: Carry Out Your Textual Analysis  

Once you’ve picked out your example and technique, it’s time to put it all together! 

Make sure to focus your analysis on supporting your overall argument or thesis . As you analyse examples and techniques, flesh out their effects and emphasise on how they prove your point. 

Think about what the composer’s purpose is, how these techniques and examples achieve this purpose , and most importantly, how readers or viewers respond to the text. 

Let’s take a look at an analysis of Macbeth as an example.  Rather than a simple statement like this:

Macbeth highlights the destructive impact of guilt and ambition through Lady Macbeth’s use of a rhyming couplet “ ’tis safer to be that which we destroy/than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy,”. This is further interrogated through the motif of sleep, as Macbeth says “ “ ere we will eat our meal in fear, and sleep… terrible dreams… the torture of the mind to lie ”.

Our analysis should expand on how the examples and techniques support the thesis. This will look more like this: 

If you’re looking for some help to carry out your analysis and write an essay , take a look at our tips for writing a TEEL , PEEL , STEEL or PETAL paragraph! We also have expert English Tutors across Sydney and online who can support you with analysing English texts in your own home, online or at our Hornsby or Hills Campus. 

Textual Analysis Examples

We’ve walked you through a step-by-step guide to analysing English texts, including understanding the plot, identifying themes, and choosing examples and techniques. Apply these to your English texts and you’ll be acing your analysis in no time! 

You can also check out the range of texts we’ve covered below to give you a better understanding of how to analyse specific texts:

Prose Jane Eyre Lord of the Flies All the Light We Cannot See The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time Frankenstein To Kill a Mockingbird Pride and Prejudice Past the Shallows Things Fall Apart Mrs Dalloway One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 1984 Jasper Jones The Book Thief In Cold Blood The Union Buries its Dead The Great Gatsby Fahrenheit 451 Hag-Seed Burial Rites Never Let Me Go Like a House on Fire The Pedestrian Ransom The Stranger After Darkness

Poetry The Hollow Men A Birthday Present by Sylvia Plath Poetry by Keats Nick and the Candlestick by Sylvia Plath Journey of the Magi by T.S. Eliot I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, by Emily Dickinson Rhapsody on a Windy Night by T.S. Eliot Fever 103 by Sylvia Plath Wild Grapes by Kenneth Slessor

Non-Fiction and Media I Am Malala Persepolis Frank Hurley

Drama The Crucible Pygmalion King Lear Romeo and Juliet Hamlet The Tempest Macbeth King Henry IV Part 1 Othello The Merchant of Venice Much Ado About Nothing The 7 Stages of Grieving Shafana and Aunt Sarrinah Photograph 51 Così Away

Film Run Lola Run Amélie Billy Elliot Blade Runner Bright Star The Truman Show Mabo Good Night, and Good Luck. Rear Window Howl’s Moving Castle

Wondering how to analyse visual texts? Check out our guide !

Looking for help finding and analysing your related text?  We have the perfect guide for you!

Are you looking for some extra help with English textual analysis?

We pride ourselves on our inspirational english coaches and mentors.

We offer tutoring and mentoring for Years K-12 in a large variety of subjects, with personalised lessons conducted one-on-one in your home or at one of our state of the art campuses in Hornsby or the Hills! We have English tutors located in the Hills District and across the broader Sydney area who can help!

To find out more and get started with an inspirational tutor and mentor  get in touch today! 

Give us a ring on 1300 267 888, email us at  [email protected]  or check us out on  TikTok !

Maitreyi Kulkarni  is a Content Writer at Art of Smart Education and is currently studying a Bachelor of Media and Communications (Public Relations and Social Media) at Macquarie University. She loves writing just about anything from articles to poetry, and has also had one of her articles published with the ABC. When she’s not writing up a storm, she can be found reading, bingeing sitcoms, or playing the guitar.

• Topics: ✍️ Learn , ✏️ English

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• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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Audience Analysis in Speech and Composition

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In the preparation of a speech or a composition, audience analysis is the process of determining the values, interests, and attitudes of the intended or projected listeners or readers.

Karl Terryberry notes that "successful writers tailor their messages . . . to the needs and values of the audience . . . . Defining the audience helps writers set communication goals" ( Writing for the Health Professions , 2005).

Examples and Observations of Audience Analysis

• "The goals of clarity , propriety, and persuasiveness dictate that we adapt our arguments , as well as the language in which they are cast, to an audience. Even a well-constructed argument may fail to convince if it is not adapted to your actual audience. "Adapting arguments to an audience means that we must know something about the audience we are addressing. The process of audience adaptation begins with an effort to construct an accurate profile of the audience members that considers such factors as their age, race, and economic status; their values and beliefs; and their attitudes toward you and your topic. (James A. Herrick, Argumentation: Understanding and Shaping Arguments . Strata, 2007)

Audience Analysis in Business Writing

• "You're in a new job and eager to impress. So don't let your heart sink if your first big task is to write a report . It's likely to be read by a whole raft of people — and that could include the managing director. . . . "'A great deal of thinking should go into the report before you actually start to write anything,' says Park Sims, adviser to Industrial Society Learning and Development and a director of Park Sims Associates. . . "'You cannot overestimate the importance of audience analysis ,' says Park. 'Are they friends or enemies, competitors or customers? All that will influence mightily what level of detail you go into and what language and style of writing you use. What do they know about the subject already? Can you use jargon?'" (Karen Hainsworth, "Wowing Your Executive Audience." The Guardian , May 25, 2002)
• " Audience analysis is always a central task in document planning. In most cases, you discover that you must address multiple audiences with varied reasons for using your document. Some will need help getting started; others will want to use the product at advanced levels . . .. "When you have pictured the users of your document and their motives and goals, you are better able to organize information to be most helpful to your audience." (James G. Paradis and Muriel L. Zimmerman, The MIT Guide to Science and Engineering Communication , 2nd ed. The MIT Press, 2002)

Audience Analysis in Composition

"[A]n audience analysis guide sheet can be an effective intervention tool for student writers. The worksheet that follows can be used for this purpose, even when students are using new media.

• Who is my audience? Who do I want my audience to be? What knowledge about the subject does my audience already have?
• What does my audience think, believe, or understand about this topic before he or she reads my essay?
• What do I want my audience to think, believe, or understand about this topic after he or she reads my essay?
• How do I want my audience to think of me? What role do I want to play in addressing my audience?"

(Irene L. Clark, Concepts in Composition: Theory and Practice in the Teaching of Writing , 2nd ed. Routledge, 2012)

Analyzing an Audience in Public Speaking

"You might think about these questions as the who, what, where, when, and whys of audience interaction:

• Who is in this audience?
• What opinions does your audience already have about the topic you are presenting?
• Where are you addressing the audience? What things about the context or occasion might influence your audience members' interest and dispositions?
• When are you addressing the audience? This is not just a matter of the time of day, but also why your topic is timely for the audience.
• Why would your audience be interested in your topic? Why should these people make a particular judgment, change their minds, or take a specific action? In other words, how does your goal intersect with their interests, concerns, and aspirations?

This analysis will help you figure out how to make effective choices in your speech." (William Keith and Christian O. Lundberg, Public Speaking: Choice and Responsibility , 2nd. ed. Wadsworth, 2016)

George Campbell (1719-1796) and Audience Analysis

• "[Campbell's] notions on audience analysis and adaptation and on language control and style perhaps have had the longest range influence on rhetorical practice and theory. With considerable foresight, he told prospective speakers what they need to know about audiences in general and audiences in particular. . . . "[In The Philosophy of Rhetoric , Campbell] moved to an analysis of the things which a speaker should know about his particular audience. These include such matters as educational level, moral culture, habits, occupation, political leanings, religious affiliations, and locale." (James L. Golden, The Rhetoric of Western Thought , 8th ed. Kendall/Hunt, 2004)

Audience Analysis and the New Rhetoric

• "The New Rhetoric recognizes situation (or context) as the basic principle of communication and revives invention as an indispensable component of rhetoric. In so doing, it establishes audience and audience analysis as important to the rhetorical process and vital to invention. [Chaim] Perelman's and [Stephen] Toulmin 's theories especially establish audience belief as the basis for all rhetorical activity (which covers most written and spoken discourse), and as the starting point for the construction of arguments. Later, theorists applied the insights of New Rhetoric theory specifically to composition theory and instruction." (Theresa Enos, ed., Encyclopedia of Rhetoric and Composition: Communication from Ancient Times to the Information Age . Taylor & Francis, 1996)

Hazards and Limitations of Audience Analysis

• "[I]f you pay so much attention to the audience that you inhibit your self-expression, audience analysis has gone too far." (Kristin R. Woolever, About Writing: A Rhetoric for Advanced Writers . Wadsworth, 1991)
• "As Lisa Ede and Andrea Lunsford point out, a key element of much audience analysis is 'the assumption that knowledge of the audience's attitudes, beliefs, and expectations is not only possible (via observation and analysis) but essential' (1984, 156). . . "Due to the pervasiveness of an audience-oriented inventional strategy in the history of rhetoric, numerous analytic methods have been developed over the years to aid the rhetor in this hermeneutic task. From Aristotle's early efforts to categorize audience responses to George Campbell's attempts at engaging the findings of faculty psychology to contemporary demographic attempts to apply cognitive psychology, the tradition offers a vast array of tools for audience analysis, each of which relies on some visible criteria in order to determine an audience's beliefs or values. "Nevertheless, these efforts to infer attitudes and beliefs from more observable phenomenon present the analyst with a host of difficulties. One of the most sensitive problems is that the results of such analyses frequently end up looking like a politically egregious form of stereotyping (not unlike the practice of racial profiling)." (John Muckelbauer, The Future of Invention: Rhetoric, Postmodernism, and the Problem of Change . SUNY Press, 2008)
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IB DP Language A Language and Literature – sample text analysis – speech transcript

Text:  “Malala Yousafzai: 16th birthday speech at the United Nations.” https://malala.org/ https://malala.org/newsroom/archive/malala-un-speech

Before analyzing the text make sure to have a look at the following page for a better understanding of how to use the text to help you with your assessments:  https://language-literature.com/sample-text-analysis-blog-posts/

Some elements of this text to consider:

• If this text were to be used on a real paper 1 the IB might decide to only include the transcript of the speech and remove all other elements of the website. On the other hand, the IB could decide to broaden the scope of the paper one and include the header of the website, the image from Youtube, the brief bio, etc. Also, the speech is a bit long for a paper 1 and the IB in such situations only includes an excerpt for analysis. Look at some paper 1 samples to get an idea of the maximum length of a text.
• The second paragraph of the speech is somewhat formulaic which matches the context of the speech. Formal speeches in such conditions often included acknowledgement of some members of the audience and addresses them by their formal title.

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Want to make your writing more exciting? Figures of speech are the answer! They transform ordinary sentences into memorable expressions.  

This article dives into 25 commonly used figures of speech, offering clear explanations and practical examples. So, if you love playing with words, this article is for you! 

Let’s first quickly understand the figure of speech meaning. 

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What is a figure of speech? 

Figures of speech are useful language techniques that convey ideas beyond the actual meaning of words. They make words more fun to read. Whether it is music, books, speaking, or poems , figures of speech are used everywhere! 

Now let’s explore the types of figures of speech in detail! 

1. Metaphor 

A metaphor compares different ideas without using the words “like” and “as”. It shows a shared quality or feature between compared ideas. For example: 

The classroom was a zoo. 

In this example, a classroom full of noisy kids is compared to a zoo full of noisy wild animals. 

2. Simile 

A simile compares ideas using the words “like” and “as”. They help readers understand the thing described by relating it to something they already know. For example: 

The runner was as fast as lightning, racing towards the finish line. 

In this sentence, the runner’s speed is compared to lightning. 

3. Alliteration 

Alliteration is a writing technique where words starting with the same sound are used in the same phrase or sentence together. It’s like a tongue twister that repeats the same letter or sound at the beginning of multiple words. For example: 

The big blue balloon bounced off the boy.

In the above sentence, the “b” sound is repeated at the beginning of multiple words. 

4. Personification

Personification is a figure of speech where human qualities, actions, or emotions are given to non-human things. It is different from anthropomorphism where non-human things are not only given human traits but also act like humans. Here are some examples of personification: 

The sun smiled down on the children playing in the park.

In the above example, the sun is given the human quality of smiling. 

5. Antithesis 

Antithesis is a figure of speech where two opposite ideas are placed together in a sentence to create a contrast. Think of it like a seesaw, with one idea on one side and the opposite idea on the other side. For example: 

It can be used to highlight a point, create a dramatic effect, or make a statement more memorable. For example: 

My brother is tall, but I am short.

In this example, two opposite ideas of tall and short are placed in the same sentence to create a contrast. 

6. Hyperbole 

Hyperbole is a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to make a point. When you use hyperbole, you describe something as being much bigger, better, worse, or more intense than it really is. For example: 

I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse! 

Here, the level of hunger is exaggerated to emphasize it and make a point. 

7. Onomatopoeia 

Onomatopoeia is a figure of speech where sounds are described to create an effect. They help to make the description more engaging. For example: 

The soda fizzed and hissed as it was poured into the glass. 

In this sentence, the words “fizzed” and “hissed” describe the sound soda creates. 

8. Anaphora 

Anaphora is a writing technique where the same word or phrase is repeated at the beginning of multiple sentences. This helps to create an effect. For example: 

He ran through the forest. He ran over the hills. He ran until he couldn’t run anymore.

In the above sentence, the phrase “He ran” is repeated to create an effect. 

9. Allusion 

An allusion is a brief, indirect reference to a famous person, place, event, literary work, or work of art. Allusions can add depth and meaning to a piece of writing. Let’s browse through an example to understand better! 

He was as brave as Superman when he stood up to the bully.

Here, Superman is an allusion to the comic book superhero Superman. 

10. Paradox 

A paradox is a statement that seems contradictory or absurd but may be true in reality. It’s a situation or idea that appears illogical or self-contradictory. Here is an example: 

Less is more.

This paradox suggests that having less of something can actually be better or more effective than having more.  

11. Irony 

Irony is a figure of speech where the words one expresses do not mean what their literal meaning indicates but mean the opposite. Often, irony refers to a situation or fact that is opposite to what you would expect, often in a funny or strange way. It’s like a twist or surprise that goes against what seems logical or normal. For example: 

A dentist has bad teeth.

You would expect a dentist to have good teeth, so it’s ironic when a dentist has bad teeth. 

12. Euphemism 

A euphemism is a mild, indirect way of saying something that might be considered harsh, blunt, or offensive. It’s like using a softer or more pleasant word or phrase to talk about something unpleasant, embarrassing, or taboo. Here is an example of this: 

He passed away on 9th November 2002. 

Here, the word “passed away” is a gentler phrase for death, which can be a sensitive topic for many. 

13. Synecdoche 

Synecdoche is a figure of speech where a part of something is used to represent the whole, or the whole is used to represent a part. It helps to focus on a specific aspect of what is being described. For example: 

The stage was filled with talented faces. 

In the above sentence, the word “faces” (part) represents people (whole). Let’s see another example! 

“England won the World Cup in 1966.”

In this sentence, England (whole) represents the English national football team (part) and not the whole country. 

14. Litotes 

Litotes is a figure of speech where something bad/negative is said to highlight the positive/good. It is usually used in creative writing and in informal speech. For example: 

The party was not bad.

This means the party was actually quite good or enjoyable, but the speaker is understating it. 

15. Oxymoron 

An oxymoron is a figure of speech where two contradictory or opposing words are used to create a new meaning. When put together, two contradictory ideas express a unique or paradoxical meaning. For example: 

There was a deafening silence in the hall. 

Silence is the absence of sound, so it cannot be deafening. Deafening indicates an extremely loud noise. Hence, this is an oxymoron highlighting pin-drop silence. 

16. Apostrophe 

An apostrophe is a literary device in which a person speaks about someone or something that is not there. It could be a person, an object, an abstract idea, or even a deceased individual. This writing technique is often used in poetry and dramatic works to express strong emotions, show closeness, or personify non-living objects.

Here is an example: 

“Oh, moon, why must you shine so brightly on this sad day?”

(In this example, the speaker is directly addressing the moon, even though the moon cannot respond.)

17. Transferred Epithet 

A transferred epithet is a descriptive word or phrase that is used to describe a noun . However, it’s not a word or phrase that would be usually used to describe that specific noun. For example: 

He walked on the lonely streets. 

The phrase “lonely streets” is a transferred epithet as streets can’t be lonely. “Lonely” is a word used to describe people. 

18. Metonymy 

Metonymy is a figure of speech where a word or phrase is used to highlight or focus on something related to it. In other words, it’s when you replace the name of something with a word closely associated with it. For example: 

I love reading Sidney Sheldon. 

In this example, “Sidney Sheldon” is used to represent the books written by him, not the person himself. 

19. Climax 

A climax is a figure of speech where ideas are arranged in the increasing order of their importance (ascending order). This creates a strong impression on the reader. Let’s see an example of this! 

The cricketer trained for months, overcame injuries, and finally performed well in the T20 Cricket World Cup. 

In this example, the ideas of training, overcoming injuries, and performing well are in ascending order. They reflect the cricketer’s journey. 

20. Tautology 

Tautology is a figure of speech in which an idea is repeated using different words that essentially mean the same thing. It’s an unnecessary repetition of a word or a phrase using synonyms and similar words. For example: 

She saw it with her own eyes. 

This sentence is an example of tautology as the word “own” is unnecessary since a person sees with their eyes. 

21. Circumlocution 

Circumlocution is a figure of speech in which a person uses more words than necessary to express an idea. The speaker or writer often uses a longer, more complex phrase or description to convey the same meaning. For example: 

“This particular area appears to be suffering from a notable lack of tidiness and organization.”

In the above example, the writer uses a verbose description instead of saying “The area is messy”. 

22. Understatement 

Understatement is a figure of speech in which a person expresses an idea and makes it seem less important or serious. This is often done by using words or phrases that are mild, neutral, or positive. For example: 

“It’s just a scratch”. (to describe a serious injury.) 

23. Chiasmus 

Chiasmus is a way of writing or speaking where you switch the order of words or phrases. It is often used to create a sense of balance or contrast and can make the sentence more memorable. For example: 

“Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” – John F. Kennedy

In the above sentence the order of the words “what your country can do for you” is changed. 

24. Epigram 

An epigram is a short, clever, and memorable statement that often expresses a general truth or observation. Epigrams are typically concise and thought-provoking. For example: 

“Little strokes fell great oaks.” – Benjamin Franklin

This epigram suggests that small, consistent efforts can overcome even the greatest challenges.

The final technique in our figures of speech list is polysyndeton. Let’s explore this technique in detail! 

25. Polysyndeton 

Polysyndeton is a figure of speech in which a writer uses multiple coordinating conjunctions (such as “and,” “or,” “but,” or “nor”), even when they are not grammatically necessary. This creates a rhythmic effect. For example: 

I searched high and low, near and far, over and under, but I still couldn’t find my keys.

In the above sentence the repetition of conjunctions like “and” creates a rhythmic effect. 

Now let’s see some figures of speech examples from well-known books! 

Nine amazing examples of figures of speech  

1. simile .

• “Loving someone is like moving into a house,” Sonja used to say. – A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
• Words are like tiny bombs, Liesel. – The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• “Her hair was like spun gold.” – Rapunzel by The Brothers Grimm

2. Metaphor 

• “The wind howled through the trees.” – The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 
• “The flowers danced in the breeze.” – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 
• “The waves crashed against the shore, as if angry at the land.” – The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• “Some rules are made to be broken.” – The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton 
• “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – Animal Farm by George Orwell 
• “You need to spend money to make money.” – Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki 

While these examples show how figures of speech can be used in creative writing, this is not all. Let’s understand how to use figures of speech to improve daily conversations! 

How to use figures of speech to enhance everyday conversations?

The following figures of speech can be used to make daily conversations engaging: 

• Hyperbole: This figure of speech can be used to make conversations fun or convey distress. 

For example, instead of saying: “I have a lot of work to do”, you could say: “I’m drowning in a sea of paperwork!” (conveying distress) 

Another example is the sentence: “My internet is so slow, I could drive faster than it takes to load a webpage!”

• Irony: This involves saying the opposite of what you mean to be witty. If it’s pouring rain and someone says, “Lovely weather we’re having,” the irony adds a touch of humor to the situation.
• Rhetorical question: Asking a question you don’t expect an answer to can make people think. Instead of “This is important,” you could ask “Isn’t this something we should all care about?” You can use this literary device to discuss any sensitive, important issue that needs attention. 
• Allusion: Making a quick reference to a shared culture (a book, movie, song, etc.) can create a sense of connection and understanding. You can use this when you meet friends, family, and acquaintances with whom you share similarities. For example, 

“This situation feels like something out of a Shakespearean tragedy.”  

This allusion to Shakespeare can be used if you and the reader/writer are aware of Shakespearean tragedies. 

To conclude, figures of speech are useful speaking and writing techniques for communication. By using figures of speech while writing, you can make your text more engaging. Save this guide for quick access to the figures of speech definition and examples! 

Once you complete writing, editing the text is crucial. As a trusted provider of editing and proofreading services , PaperTrue can easily help you polish your text. 

What did you think about this article on the different types of figures of speech? Share your thoughts in the comments section! 

Here are some useful resources for you: 

• 10 Most Common Grammar Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
• Structure of an Essay: 5 Tips to Write an Outstanding Essay
• Top 10 Assignment Editing Services of 2024
• How to Write a Short Story: 6 Steps & Examples

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Speech Analysis Example (Redeanalyse in Englisch mit Beispiel)

Im Folgenden ist eine stichwortartige Redeanalyse als Beispiel für derartige Arbeiten zu finden. Hilfreich für diese sind auch die Artikel „Nützliche Ausdrücke“ , „Richtiges Zitieren“ und „Stilistische Mittel“ . Die zu analysierende Rede hielt Barack Obama, der derzeitige amerikanische Präsident, nach seinem ersten großen Vorwahlsieg am 8. Januar 2008; somit also noch vor seiner wirklichen Wahl zum Präsidenten. Die komplette Rede kann hier bei der New York Times nachgelesen werden.

Example of an introduction

The address “America, yes we can!”, given by the current US-American president Barack Obama on January 8, 2008 in New Hampshire, examines the problems America has to face today and it simultaneously demonstrates the necessary steps that have to be taken.

Example of a speech analysis (key facts)

• Obama wants to call the audience’s attention with a direct address at the beginning of his speech (“you can be the majority…”)
• his frequent use of personal pronouns, such as ‘ our’ and ‘ us ’, gives the audience the feeling that he does not regard himself as superior to them, but as one of them
• he puts emphasis on the meaning of his words by using parallel sentence structure (‘ no problem we can’t solve – no destiny we cannot fulfill’)
• to stress the importance of a change he includes every population group by enumerating contrasts -> forms a unity, feeling of togetherness (‘ doctors and patients; workers and businesses, Democrats and Republicans together’)
• referring to a well-known historical event Obama uses a metonymy* (‘ 9/11 ’)
• he attempts to win the listeners attention by stating his aims for his potential future term in office
• he uses paratactic sentences and develops his argumentation step by step
• being aware of some current problems in the USA he enumerates a few of them, he admits that finding solutions could take a long time, lists the problems as duties he wants to approach (‘terrorism and nuclear weapons; climate change and poverty; genocide and disease’)
• he concentrates on the fact that it won’t be easy, but America has passed it once (in the past) and he encourages the nation to have hope and will power
• with the repetition of the parole ‘Yes, we can’ Obama animates the audience
• he increases the tension of his speech by repeating the parole ( 9x ‘Yes, we can’)
• He puts emphasis on the need of strong creed by using many anaphors (‘ It was a creed… It was whispered … It was sung by … It was the call of …’)

Example of stylistic devices:

Example of an Ending:

All in all, Obama clearly states his aims and expectations for his future position.

I would like to point out that Obamas parole ‘Yes, we can’ has become very famous and with his diplomatic and sympathetic appearance he persuaded many Americans. Not for nothing he became president of the USA in 2008.

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Ann-Kathrin Theil (M.Sc.)

Übersetzerin & englische Sprachwissenschaftlerin

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