Restoring Eloquence

Your speeches are boring. Did I just say that? Have I implied that your rhetorical ventures are utterly boring? Well, yes.    The first piece of a speech, as taught within the scope of Rhetoric, is your ‘Introduction’. This is a critical part in your speech, as it sets the mood for your audience. Your first few words determine how your audience perceives you.    Let me be clear about this. The ‘Introduction’, in a speech, is the first part of your ‘Delivery’ (another important part of your speech). You must captivate your audience with your Introduction.    Of course when I give this advice, I assume you already know of the importance of knowing your audience. The first step that must be taken before you even invent your speech (I say ‘Invent’ because of the part of Rhetoric called ‘Invention’), is understanding your audience. What sort of culture(s) do they live in? What do all of your audience members have in common? Are you addressing a crowd of Southern, G