speeches, essays, and documents from the fight for...
TRANSCRIPT
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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