Author’s Purpose

and
Speaker/Audience
Standard 4: Critique how a speaker addresses content and
uses craft techniques that stylistically and structurally
inform, engage, and impact audience and convey
messages.
I can analyze and examine the author’s
purpose in various formats.

I can determine who is the speaker and

identify their purpose.

I can find out who is the audience.

What is an author’s
purpose?
Definition Characteristics
The author’s purpose is Persuade
why the author wrote the Inform
text. Entertain

Author’s Purpose
Example Non-Example
Ms. Kouba wrote
a paper on Harambe
to persuade the readers. A short explanation of
what the author is writing
about
Definition
A speaker is the specific
person or group that is
sending a message.
Characteristics
Has a desired effect of what the
speaker wants the audience to
do or believe.
Knows their audience

Speaker
Example Non-Example

Who is delivering The audience

the message to the
audience
Definition Characteristics
An audience is the specific Someone receiving
person or group that the information
speaker is
addressing.

Audience
Example Non-Example

Who the speaker is The speaker

talking to.
Mother To Son
Langston Hughes

Well, son, I’ll tell you:

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
[5]And boards torn up,
Who is the speaker?
And places with no carpet on the floor —
Bare.
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on, Who is the audience?
[10]And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light. What is the desired effect?
So boy, don’t you turn back.
[15]Don’t you set down on the steps
‘Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
Don’t you fall now —
For I’se still goin’, honey,
I’se still climbin’,
[20]And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
Introduction to Poetry BY BILLY COLLINS

I ask them to take a poem

and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive. Who is the speaker?

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem’s room Who is the audience?

and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski

across the surface of a poem
waving at the author’s name on the shore. What is the desired effect?
But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose

to find out what it really means.
Who is the speaker?

Who is the audience?

What is the desired effect?

Who is the speaker?

Who is the audience?

What is the desired

effect?
Drag your dot to show how you are feeling about author’s
purpose, speaker, and audience:
Complete the follow-up
work!