From the course: Writing Speeches

What you should know before watching this course

From the course: Writing Speeches

Start my 1-month free trial

What you should know before watching this course

“

- Have you ever heard the expression "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose"? That line is from Gertrude Stein's poem Sacred Emily. In one way, we could adapt that expression to speeches. A speech is a speech is a speech is a speech. The definition of all speeches is an address or discourse delivered to an audience. All speeches do have an introduction, a body, and an ending. And all speeches have a purpose and are given to an audience. So are all speeches created equal? Certainly not any more than all roses are. So to get the most from this course as you watch it, keep in mind that speeches are written for a variety of occasions, for diverse audience sizes with multiple expectations and in different organizational patterns. Also keep in mind that speeches are usually grouped into four basic categories: impromptu, extemporaneous, memorized, and write and read. The impromptu speech is when you are called upon to say a few words and weren't warned ahead of time. It's not prepared or written beforehand. The other three, even though the presentation methods vary, will be prepared and written to varying degrees. So as we progress through the course, we'll discuss that there is not just one correct way to write a speech. We'll delve into the process of putting together example speeches for two main topics throughout the lessons: dog grooming and rock climbing. However, a word of caution. The example speeches are intended to be examples. Neither of the speeches we will follow throughout the course is intended as making you proficient in either of the topics, grooming your own dog or going rock climbing. In other words, as some commercials say, don't try this at home or under adult supervision only. Also the costs and savings are estimates. Brand, quality, and where you live impact the numbers. So a rose is a rose, even though it may be red, yellow, or pink. A speech is a speech, even though it may be to provide information or to persuade, be given to 5 people or to 500 people, or be organized in different ways. For example, by time or order of importance. So to get the most from this course, focus on both the commonalities and the differences in writing a variety of speech types.

Contents