Account for every line, including and especially any that seem odd or out of place. This will be a clue to the speaker's objective in the speech. Mark each time the speaker changes minor topics in the speech. It is unusual, though not impossible, for a speaker to change topics mid-line. These beats all serve and inform the character's action for the speech.
Form Say whether the speech is written in prose or in verse.
If it is in verse, name the speech's metre. Scan the speech, indicating which syllables are stressed and which are unstressed. Mark places where the rhythm of the speech is different from the that of the metre. Identify any rhymes that appear in the speech. Look for rhymes within lines of verse as well as rhymes at the ends of lines.