Dear Gaius
When we make a speech, we want our audience to feel receptive to our message, to gain a favourable impression of us as speakers and to pay good attention to what we are saying. I shall now show you how these three conditions can be brought about. Continue reading Creating receptive and attentive listeners
Dear Gaius
Having previously considered the underlying purpose of your speech, it makes sense to consider the introduction as related to the type of speech you are giving.
Basically, there are two kinds of introduction: the direct and the subtle approach. Continue reading The direct and subtle approaches to opening a speech
Dear Gaius,
But first, in order to construct the most appropriate Introduction, you must consider the underlying purpose of your speech.
There are four possible purposes: honourable, discreditable, doubtful, and petty. An honourable purpose is when we either defend what seems to be a universal truth, or attack what seems to be universally accepted as reprehensible; for example, when we defend a heroic person, or denounce a heartless killer. Continue reading Consider the underlying purpose of your speech
Dear Gaius
Let us start with the first skill you need – invention. And I will discuss how you might use invention in the six sections of a speech: the Introduction, the Statement of Facts, the Division, the Proof, the Refutation, and the Conclusion
Whether or not we play chess, there is a lot we can learn from studying the skills of great chess players. And we can learn even more by understanding how good chess players continue to improve.
Continue reading How to Improve your Skills: learning from chess
Dear Gaius
The task of the public speaker is to discuss, in a capable manner, matters that might be useful to other people, and to secure as far as possible the agreement of listeners.
“I think it is all a matter of love; the more you love a memory the stronger and stranger it becomes”
― Vladimir Nabokov
And, as we think back and sink into that memory, it seems the emotional flavour of the memory is all that really matters and becomes the dominating aspect of the remembrance. Continue reading The strength of memories
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” – William Faulkner
Dear Gaius,
I’ve been so busy lately that I have hardly had time to study, and what free time I do have I prefer to spend on philosophy. But I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to help you, or that I am too lazy to bother, and so you have spurred me to start writing this book about the Theory of Public Speaking. Continue reading Dear Gaius
In the beginning was the Word.
There is no force more powerful,
no weapon more deadly.
Wield it carefully and with skill.
