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(Hooray for Word Art!)
For this project, you will analyze the diction and syntax of a piece of writing with which you are
already familiar, Ellison’s Invisible Man. Since you’ve already read the book, you should have a
good idea of the claims that Ellison makes in the work as a whole; keep these claims in mind,
since the whole point of diction and syntax analysis is to explain how the writer’s choices help
him or her to convey the point and persuade the reader to agree with the point.
You will work in a group of three. Work with classmates with whom you know you can succeed;
your grade depends upon how well your group completes the assignments. Fair warning—I will
not accept any excuses that group members did not do part of the assignment, or any other
group-related excuses. You are allowed to select your own groups—figure it out.
You will do a close reading analysis of a passage of your choice from Ellison’s Invisible Man.
Choose a passage of at least two paragraphs, but no more than one page.
OBJECTIVES (AKA “What You Will Learn,” AKA “Why You Have to Do This.”)

Learn to read a text closely for syntax and diction

Recognize syntax patterns

Recognize various types of diction
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Determine connotations and implied meanings of words
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Analyze concrete and abstract diction

Link stylistic elements of diction and syntax to the claims and the author’s purpose in
order to understand how an author makes an argument

Use a well-known professional author as a model for your own writing.

Use evidence to prove your analysis and interpretation, rather than to merely
summarize or restate ideas.
Part 1: SOAPS ANNOTATION
1. First, annotate the passage for aspects of speaker, audience, occasion, purpose, and
subject. Don’t worry—you won’t have to write this up. You will, however, need to keep
these aspects of the rhetorical context of the passage in mind, or your analysis will make
little-to-no sense.
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2. Make sure to mark the appeals used by the author. Look back in your writer’s
notebook—there’s actually a great deal of information on how certain stylistic elements
and rhetorical techniques create certain appeals (I snuck it in there .)
3. Include a key if you color-code the passage or use any other marks that I may not
understand.
Part 2: DICTION ANNOTATION AND ANALYSIS
1. Mark the most significant verbs in the passage in one color. Mark the most significant
adjectives and adverbs in another color. Use a third color to mark the most significant
common (not proper) nouns.
2. Choose two or three words (any part of speech) that you believe contribute the most to
the tone and meaning of the passage. Complete the diction target practice (attached)
for each of these words.
Instructions for diction target practice:
1. In the innermost circle write the selected word.
2. Using a dictionary, in the second circle write the word’s origins.
3. In the third circle list the word’s various meanings (connotations). What is
the meaning of the word in varying contexts?
4. In the fourth circle, answer “How does the word function in the sentence
in which it is found?”
5. In the fifth circle, answer “How does the word influence the meaning of
the work as a whole (both passage and the novel at large)”?
Look for patterns in the author’s use of parts of speech, and mark them in the text.
Since your parts of speech are marked in different colors, it should be easy to see if, for
example, Ellison uses mostly abstract verbs and nouns in your passage. The trick here is
to explain why he did these things in the margins.
Be sure to answer the following questions in the margins of your passage annotations:
1) Is the author’s diction mostly concrete or mostly abstract? Why did the author choose
this type of diction?
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2) Is the author’s diction mostly euphonious or mostly cacophonous? Why did the author
choose this type of diction?
3) Is the author’s diction mostly elevated, neutral, or low and informal? Why did the
author use this level of diction?
4) Overall, is there a pattern or overall strategy to the use of diction? What is it? What did
the author hope to accomplish? Mark any shifts that you find with (/). Explain these
shifts in the margins—why are they there? What do they indicate?
5) Write one or two sentences in the margins of your passage connecting the diction to the
author’s tone and purpose. Be sure to analyze whether or not the character is meant to
reflect the author; that is, is the persona of the narrator the same as that of the author?
Why or why not?
6) Is the author’s use of diction effective? Provide a detailed justification for your answer.
Part 3: SYNTAX ANNOTATION AND ANALYSIS
1. Ratiocinate the passage, using the same ratiocination code that you use for your own
writing:
2. Underline each sentence in the passage in alternating colors. Let’s say you mark the first
sentence in yellow; you could then mark the next sentence in orange, the third in
yellow, and so on.
3. Look for patterns in sentence length. Identify and explain any patterns that you find in
the margins.
4. Identify loose and periodic sentences. In the margins, explain what is emphasized in the
sentence and why, and how the syntax creates that effect.
5. Identify any appositives. Explain why they are there—what do they accomplish, in terms
of the author’s purpose?
6. Finally, connect this example to the overall claim of the passage as a whole, and to the
author’s purpose in the work as a whole.
Re-read the passage and annotate for the devices listed below:
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Anadiplosis
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Anaphora
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Asyndeton
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Antithesis
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Litotes
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Parallelism
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Rhetorical questions
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Any other devices you notice
Some of these terms will be unfamiliar to you—this is a perfect time to learn some new
terms and techniques! Refer to a copy of Olson’s Fast Track to a 5 for a glossary with
definitions and examples.
Answer the following questions in the margins of your annotation:
1) Which devices were used most effectively? Provide a detailed explanation of why each
technique was effective?
2) Write a sentence or two connecting the devices used to the speaker’s tone.
3) Write a sentence or two connecting the devices to the speaker’s purpose.
4) Look for patterns in the use of devices; does the speech indicate an overall strategy being
used by the speaker? What is it? Explain.
Part 4: Analysis of Rhetorical Appeals
Re-read the passage and annotate the following:
Logos: color or mark type 1
Ethos: color or mark type 2
Pathos: color or mark type 3
1) Write a brief statement explaining how the author develops each of the appeals in the
passage. If appropriate, explain the connection of the diction and syntax to the appeals.
If one or more appeals are absent, explain why.
2) Which appeal does the author rely upon the most?
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3) Is the author’s use of the appeals balanced, that is, does the author use the various
appeals equally? Explain your reasoning.
4) Which appeal is most effectively employed in the passage? Mark examples and evidence
on the passage, and clearly label them.
5) Overall, is the speaker’s use of appeals effective? Provide a detailed explanation of your
reasoning.
Part 5: ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE
1. Select one or two quotes that best represent the meaning of the passage as a whole.
*Remember, the point of evidence is to prove that your interpretation is correct, not just to
show that an element or technique is present in the text.
Part 6: RHETORICAL PRECIS
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Your group will now create a 1-2 page rhetorical précis over the piece. A précis is a brief
summary; however, you are not summarizing the content of the passage itself—instead, you
are providing an overview of the author’s rhetorical approach in the passage.
Include:
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A statement (or several statements, if needed) identifying the author’s claim in the
passage.
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Statements identifying the author’s major rhetorical strategies and approaches in the
passage.

Statements connecting the rhetorical strategies to the author’s claim and purpose in the
passage and in the work as a whole.

Well-chosen and thoroughly-analyzed evidence to prove the correctness of your analysis
and interpretation.
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Order these elements in whatever way seems the most logical to you as a group. Discuss
different potential organizations. Try out different organizations. Find what works and
then use it.
PROJECT RUBRIC
A—95-100. Everything is complete, neat, legible, and clear. You prove your points and explain
your reasoning lucidly, in a way that far surpasses the majority of your peers. You see the
multiple levels of meaning inherent in the passage, and analyze the passage on multiple levels
(structural, lexical, syntactical, etc.) Your précis and annotations present a powerful
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understanding of the author’s intent and the meaning of the passage; you understand and
analyze the what, the how, and the why of the passage.
90-95. Everything is complete, neat, legible, and clear. You prove your points and explain
your reasoning effectively, in a way that far surpasses the majority of your peers. You see most
of the multiple levels of meaning inherent in the passage, and analyze the passage on many of
these levels (structural, lexical, syntactical, etc.) Your précis and annotations present a strong
understanding of the author’s intent and the meaning of the passage; you understand and
analyze the what, the how, and the why of the passage.
B—85-89. Most of the work is complete, neat, legible, and clear. You prove your points and
explain your reasoning, usually effectively, in a way that surpasses more of your peers than not.
You see some of the multiple levels of meaning inherent in the passage, and analyze the
passage on some of these levels (structural, lexical, syntactical, etc.) Your précis presents a
reasonable understanding of the author’s intent and the meaning of the passage; you
understand and analyze, to an extent less than that of the A project, the what, the how, and the
why of the passage.
80-84. Any one of the conditions for an A project is not met, or several sections meet
expectations to a degree representative of above-average analysis and writing.
C—75-80. One or two of the conditions for an A project is not met, or several sections meet
expectations to a degree representative of average analysis and writing.
D –70-75. Two or three of the conditions for an A project are not met, or several sections meet
expectations to a degree representative of slightly below-average analysis and writing.
F—Below 75 (points assigned at my discretion). Multiple conditions for an A project are
absent; the work is either incomplete or does not succeed in analyzing the passage in a
convincing and meaningful way.
WHAT YOU NEED TO TURN IN—For all items, submit only ONE per group
Submit the following in this order (top to bottom) in a packet:
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Your rhetorical précis (on top of the packet)
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A photocopy of your annotated passage, with the answers to the questions clearly
marked (use additional paper, if needed). Don’t worry—there’s no need to make a color
copy, as I will be able to tell the variations in shade even with a black-and-white copy
(unless you use yellow—you’re on your own if you choose to use yellow!) *Note—the
previous sentence was highlighted in yellow on the original of this document before I
copied it.