Speeches, Essays, and

Documents from the Fight for

Independence

What is a speech? A speech is a nonfiction work delivered orally to an audience.

Some speeches are formally written before

presentation, while others are presented informally from notes. Speeches with limited preparation time are called extemporaneous speeches. Impromptu speeches are delivered without any planning or preparation time.

Many speeches are examples of

persuasion. Remember that persuasion

is an attempt to get others to think or act

in a certain way. We persuade others by

using certain techniques.

The effective use of writing or speech to

persuade is called rhetoric.

Effective rhetoric employs a balance of

appeals, as well as devices that create

emphasis and stir audience emotions.

Appeals – Logos, Ethos, Pathos

Remember those words?

Logos – appeal to logic, reason

Ethos – appeal to credibility

Pathos – appeal to emotion, feelings

Appeal to logos might involve the use of:

statistics

facts

expert testimony

graphs

charts

This type of appeal is directed at the audience’s sense of morality or values. It is important that the audience finds the speaker a credible, trustworthy source of information.

The speaker may need to: Provide evidence of his/her time and

involvement with the subject matter Provide information about his/her personal

expertise on the topic Provide references to others who can attest to the

speaker’s experience

Appeal to pathos is an emotional appeal. It is an attempt to spark some strong feeling in the audience.

This appeal may involve the use of: Poignant anecdotes “Loaded” words with powerful

connotations Vivid imagery Visual aids that evoke emotion

Aside from appeals, speakers may use a variety of rhetorical devices to create emphasis and stir emotion. The following are basic rhetorical techniques:

repetition restatement parallelism antithesis rhetorical questions You should be prepared to use at least two of

these techniques in your essay and speech, so take some notes about the terms from the slides that follow.

Repetition is restating an idea using the same words. Repetition should not be overdone, but if used effectively, it can keep your main idea alive in the listeners’ minds. An example of effective use of repetition is Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.

I say to you today, my friends, so even

though we face the difficulties of today

and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is

a dream deeply rooted in the

American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation

will rise up and live out the true

meaning of its creed: "We hold these

truths to be self-evident: that all men

are created equal."

I have a dream that my four little

children will one day live in a nation

where they will not be judged by the

color of their skin but by the content of

their character.

Restatement is expressing the same idea

using different words.

“. . . we cannot dedicate—we cannot

consecrate—we cannot hallow—this

ground.”

Abraham Lincoln –

“The Gettysburg Address”

Parallelism is the repetition of a grammatical structure. For example, you would not say, “We love swimming, running, and to read.” You would say, “We love swimming, running, and reading.” In a speech or essay, parallelism can be a powerful tool because the sound is appealing. “With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in . . .” Lincoln Second Inaugural Address

Antithesis is the use of strongly contrasting

words, images, or ideas. Perhaps the most

famous example is from John F. Kennedy’s

inaugural address:

“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not

what your country can do for you - ask

what you can do for your country.”

Rhetorical

questions are

asked to promote

thought, but not to

get answers.

If giving a speech about

contributing to a local homeless

shelter, you might start with the

question, “How grateful are you

for the bed you sleep

comfortably in each night?”

You aren’t really looking for the

audience to answer out loud, but

you want them to mentally

consider the reality that they may

be taking for granted what seems

to be a basic need that isn’t met for

all people.

Read the speeches of Patrick Henry and

Benjamin Franklin beginning on page 101.

Use the graphic organizer to record the use of any of the rhetorical appeals and/or devices we just reviewed, and consider the effect the device or appeal might have on the audience.

Review the appeals on page 110. Notice that a new one has been added – the appeal to authority. This is an appeal to show that a higher power supports the ideas presented. On your own, read “The Declaration of Independence” and Thomas Paine’s essay from

The American Crisis on pages 112-119. For each selection, describe the appeals made by the author and analyze their effectiveness. List a few (2-3 per selection) of the rhetorical devices you see within the works.

Read the September 11 commemorative speech on the handout and answer:

Though you were very young, reflect on the historical and personal impact of September 11 in a well-written paragraph. What did the event change for our country and for our individual lives?

First, watch Brad Meltzer’s Decoded.

Could Paine have written the Declaration?

Look again at both the Declaration and Paine’s essay. Are there specific elements such as style, diction, etc., that would lead a researcher to a “yes” answer?

Home schooling is an effective education program. More people should become foster families. Companies should not be able to genetically modify food. Animal cruelty laws should apply to “factory farming.” A vegan diet is healthiest. Don’t eat fast food. Wal-Mart is a bad thing for a community. Assisted suicide should be allowed in terminal cases. All students should receive some kind of training or education

beyond high school. The minimum wage should be raised. Schools should provide easy to use recycling programs. Schools should offer sex education. Smokeless tobacco is just as unhealthy as cigarettes. Tanning beds are contributing to the rise in skin cancer rates. Students should always report bullying. All students should have to take PE each semester. Everyone should have a Facebook account. Daily exercise is the key to good health. Bottled water is a waste of money. Brush your teeth regularly to avoid health problems. Teen drivers should not have a curfew.

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