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This is a how-to guide for using the S.O.L.L.I.D.D. strategy to analyze literature and speeches.
SOLLIDD can be used to analyze how rhetorical elements and the author's style lead to greater
meaning and understanding of the text.
The S.O.L.L.I.D.D. acronym stands for syntax, organization, literary devices, levels of
discourse, imagery, diction, and detail. Look at each piece individually at first, then
bring them all together to enhance your understanding of the text.
When you examine the syntax, you're looking at the sentence structure. Some things to
consider are: Does the author use long or short sentences? Does the author use inverted
structure? Are there a variety of sentence structures? How does the writer connect words,
phrases, and clauses?
Organization involves the structure of sections within a passage and as a whole. Think about
how the piece is arranged. Does the author use cause and effect? Chronological order?
Compare and contrast? Is there a shift in tone?
Literary devices are techniques in literature that produce a specific effect. Literary devices
include metaphor, simile, personification, irony (situational, verbal, dramatic), hyperbole,
allusion, alliteration, and many more techniques that aren't listed here.
Analyzing levels of discourse might seem challenging, but you're really just trying to decide if
the author has used language that is appropriate to his audience. Think about the viewpoint
or perspective--does it represent any particular social, political, or cultural situation?
Is the language appropriate to the audience the author is trying to reach?
Imagery is figurative language that appeals to the senses. You're looking for words and
phrases that evoke your senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound. Think about how the
kinds of images the author includes or leaves out reflect his/her style.
Diction includes the author's word choice. Look for words and phrases that draw your
attention. Is the language general and abstract or specific and concrete? Is the language
formal or informal? Are there words with strong connotations that indicate strong emotions?
Think about why the author chose that particular word over all of the other words in the English
language.
Students often confuse details with images, so remember that these are different in that
details don't have the strong sensory appeal that imagery does. Details are facts included
(or omitted) in support of the tone of the passage. Think about the details the author
included, what they imply, and what the underlying connotations are in these choices. Also consider
the details that the author chose to exclude. You'll need to consider the entire piece to
figure out what he might have left out.