Definition:
In rhetoric, a formal address delivered to an audience--an oration or oral presentation.
Classical rhetoric recognized three main types or genres of speech: deliberative, judicial, and epideictic.
See also:
- The Parts of a Speech
- Apologia
- Arrangement
- Audience Analysis Checklist
- Conversationalization
- Debate
- Declamation
- Elocution
- Epilogue
- Exhortation
- Homiletics
- Jeremiad
- Oratory
- Parrhesia
- Public Speaking
- Rhetoric
- Rhetorical Canons
- Rhetorical Situation
- Sermon
- Speaker
- Speech (Linguistics)
Etymology:
From the Old English, "to speak"Examples of Speeches:
- The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln
- How I Conquered Stage Fright, by Mark Twain
- I Have a Dream, by Martin Luther King, Jr.
- The Inaugural Address of Barack Obama
- The Inaugural Address of John F. Kennedy
- On Women's Right to Vote, by Susan B. Anthony
- The Second Inaugural Address of Abraham Lincoln
- Soggy Sweat's Whiskey Speech
Observations:
- "If I could just say a few words . . . I'd be a better public speaker."
(Homer Simpson beginning a speech, The Simpsons) - Major Parts of a Speech
"There are three major parts to every speech: introduction, body, and conclusion. . . .
The introduction serves to introduce the topic and the speaker and to alert audience members to your specific purpose. . . .
Just like the body of a written essay, the speech body contains the speech's main points and subpoints, all of which support the speech's thesis. . . .
The conclusion restates the speech purpose and reiterates how the main points confirm it."
(Dan O'Hair, et al., Speaker's Guidebook. Bedford, 2007) - "Surveys show that the number one fear of Americans is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. That means that at a funeral, the average American would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy."
(Jerry Seinfeld, Seinfeld, 1990) - The Art of Delivering a Speech
Once you've planned and written your presentation and developed your visuals, you're ready to begin practicing your delivery. . . .- Memorizing. Unless you're a trained actor, avoid memorizing your speech, especially a long one. You're likely to forget your lines, and your speech will sound stilted. . . .
(Courtland L. Bovée, John V. Thill, and Barbara E. Schatzman, Business Communication Essentials. Prentice Hall, 2004)
- Reading. If you're delivering a technical or complex presentation, you may want to read it. . . . If you choose to read your speech, practice enough so that you can still maintain eye contact with your audience. . . .
- Speaking from notes. Making a presentation with the help of an outline, note cards, or visual aids is probably the most effective and easiest delivery mode. This approach gives you something to refer to and still allows for eye contact and interaction with the audience. . . .
- Impromptu speaking. . . . When you're asked to speak 'off the cuff,' take a moment to think through what you'll say. Then avoid the temptation to ramble. - "Typically, a speech is an utterance meant to be heard and intended to exert an influence of some kind on those who hear it. Typically, also the kind of influence intended may be described as persuasion. The hearer is to be moved to action or argued into the acceptance of some belief. The aim of the speaker is, in the words of William Caxton, 'to cause another man . . . to believe or to do that thing which thou wouldst have him do.'"
(Wayland Maxfield Parrish, "The Study of Speeches," 1954)
Also Known As: oral presentation, public speaking
