Speeches

Objective Agenda
• Evaluate how structure and • Review
rhetoric are used to • Extend
communicate with an audience.
• Discussion
• Context research
Reivew: what do you remember about
speeches and rhetoric?
• Rhetoric: the art of persuasive speaking.
• Techniques may include:
• Rules of three
• Rhetorical appeals
• Logical falacies
• Connotated diction
• Alliteration
• Repetition and/or anaphora
• Figurative language
• Anecdotes
• Analogies
• Juxtaposition Agenda:
• Etc. • Review
• Extend
• Discussion
• Context research
Intro to speeches
Knowing the speaker’s objective is critical to analyzing the speech and
should certainly influence how you study it.

1. What is the speaker’s goal? Is it to educate, to motivate,

to persuade, or to entertain?
2. What is the primary message being delivered?
3. Why is this person delivering this speech? Are they the right person?
4. Was the objective achieved? Agenda:
ü Review
• Extend
• Discussion
• Context research
Audience and Context
A speaker will need to use different techniques to connect with an audience of
1500 than they would with an audience of 15. Similarly, different techniques
will be applied when communicating with teenagers as opposed to
communicating with corporate leaders.

1. Where and when is the speech being delivered?

2. What are the key demographic features of the audience? Technical?
Students? Elderly? Athletes? Business leaders?
3. How large is the audience?
4. In addition to the live audience, is there an external target audience?
(e.g., on the Internet or mass media)
The Opening
Due to the primacy effect, words and visuals in the speech’s
opening are critical to speaking success.

1. Was a hook used effectively to draw the audience into the speech?
Or did the speaker open with a dry “It’s great to be here today.“
2. Did the speech open with a story? A joke? A startling statistic?
A controversial statement? A powerful visual?
3. Did the speech opening clearly establish the intent of the
presentation?
4. Was the opening memorable?
The Body
1. Was the presentation focused? i.e. Did all arguments, stories,
anecdotes relate back to the primary objective?
2. Were examples or statistics provided to support the arguments?
3. Were metaphors and symbolism use to improve understanding?
Conclusion
Like the opening, the words, body language, and visuals in the speech
conclusion are all critical to speaking success. This is due to the recency
effect.

1. Was the conclusion concise?

2. Was the conclusion memorable?
3. If appropriate, was there a call-to-action?
 Content – Authorial Choices
Parallelism This device refers to the use of parallel sentence structures or phrases in consecutive order.

“We've had difficult times in the past; we will have difficult times in the
future.”

Hypophora A common technique is to start a speech with hypophora, in which the speaker first asks a
question and then answers it.

“In this difficult day, in this difficult time for the United States, it is perhaps well to ask
what kind of a nation we are and what direction we want to move in.”
Repetition This is a key ingredient to any speech. There are different forms of repetition, such
as anaphora, which is the same phrase at the beginning of each sentence.

“Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: […] Let us
dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.”

Antithesis This is the contrasting of two ideas in a sequence. The word ‘but’ is sometimes used to
highlight the opposite nature of these ideas.

“We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization […] Or we can make an
effort, as Martin Luther King did, to […] understand with compassion and love.

Figurative Figurative speech refers to any form of language that is not meant literally, this can include
Speech many devices from rhetorical questions to imagery.

“[…]that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land […].” “Pain
which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart”
Tricolon Speeches often include lists of three, as this appeals to audiences’ ears and sense of order.

“The vast majority of black people in this country want to live together, want to improve
the quality of our life, and want justice for all human beings who abide in our land.”

Allusion Allusion is the reference to another speech or event. By using allusion, the speaker not only
associates herself with the ideas of the original text or event but also create a bond with the
audience by evoking shared knowledge.

I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my
family killed, but he was killed by a white man.

Alliteration The repetition of a sound in the first syllable of each phrase. In the example below, you will
see one string of three words beginning with “f,” and another with three words beginning
with “d.”

“They are part of the finest fighting force that the world has ever known. They have served
tour after tour of duty in distant, different, and difficult places.”
Asyndeton Omits conjunctions, which helps to increase the tempo and highlight a specific idea.

…and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the
earth.”

Tone Tone reflects the writer’s attitude toward the subject matter of the speech.

You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I'm one of
the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing.

Polysyndeton several conjunctions are used to join connected clauses in places where they are not
contextually necessary.

“In years gone by, there were in every community men and women who spoke the language
of duty and morality and loyalty and obligation.”
And …

Imagery Similes and Irony Juxtaposition

Metaphors and Oxymorons

Symbolism Hyperboles Personification Understatements

Analogies and
Word Choice Point of View
Contrast
Rhetorical Appeals

Ethos
Pathos
Logos
Logical Fallacies
Bandwagon An argument that “Nine out of ten
depends on getting shoppers have
people to do or think switched to
something because Blindingly-Bright-
“everyone else is Smile Toothpaste.”
doing it” or

Bandwagon
“everything else
thinks this.”
Glittering Generalities The use of vague, Coach said to
emotionally possible supporters,
appealing virtue "We have the greatest
words that dispose us team ever and it

Glittering Generalities
to approve something deserves your
without closely support."
examining the
reasons.
Hasty Generalization A person draws a A fan says, "I had a
conclusion about a chance to chat with
large group based on Coach after the game
experiences with only and he seemed very
a few members of the nice. It is wonderful

Hasty Generalization
group. how athletic coaches
are so approachable."
False Dilemma Assuming only two Coach tells his
alternatives exist players that if they do
when it is possible not learn the plays
that there are more that this means that
than two. they have no respect

False Dilemma
for him.
Red Herring An irrelevant topic is
presented to divert
The athletic director
asked Coach to explain
attention from the why his team was
original issue and help losing so many games
"win" an argument by and Coach points out
shifting attention away that there are three
from the argument and teams in the league

Red Herring
to another issue. below his team in the
standings.
Plain Folks Plain folks argument is
one in which the
“Who would you vote
for—someone raised in
speaker presents him or a working-class
herself as an average neighborhood who has
Joe — a common the support of Joe the
person who can Plumber or some elitist
understand and whose daddy sent him
empathize with a to a fancy school?”

Plain Folks
listener's concerns.
Ad Hominem Attacking the person
making an argument
“Of course, that doctor
advocates
rather than the vaccination—he
argument itself. probably owns stock in
a pharmaceutical
company.”

Ad Hominem
Slippery Slope Making an unsupported “We can’t allow video
or inadequately games; if we do, then
supported claim that the next thing you
“One thing inevitably know people will be
leads to another.” stealing and
murdering.”

Slippery Slope
Speeches discussion
• We will be exploring the Michelle Obama speech body of work
through the “readers, writers and texts” area of exploration.
• So, let’s consider:
1. How are we affected by texts in various ways?
2. In what ways is meaning constructed and negotiated?
3. How does the structure or style of a text affect meaning?

Agenda:
ü Review
ü Extend
• Discussion
• Context research
Context research
• The speeches we will look at were delivered by Michelle Obama
between 2008-2016.
• Read the Michelle Obama bio.
• Independently, conduct research on and make notes in your
notebook/in your learner portfolio on the following questions:
1. Who is Michelle Obama and what was her role in this time period?
2. What major US political events are of note in 2008, 2012, and 2016?
3. Based on what you know about her life, make predictions as to what topics
or issues you believe her speeches will explore. Agenda:
ü Review
ü Extend
ü Discussion
• Context research