Model Speeches for Practise | Page 2

greatness of speech is sincerity. You must yourself be so
thoroughly imbued with the truth and desirability of what you are
urging upon others that they will be imprest by your integrity of
purpose. To have their confidence and good will is almost to win your
cause.
But you must have deep and well-grounded convictions before you can
hope to convince and influence other men. Duty, necessity,
magnanimity, innate conviction, and sincere interest in the welfare of
others,--these beget true fervor and are essential to passionate and
persuasive speaking.
Lord Lytton emphasized the vital importance of earnest purpose in the
speaker. Referring to speech in the British Parliament he said, "Have
but fair sense and a competent knowledge of your subject, and then be
thoroughly in earnest to impress your own honest conviction upon
others, and no matter what your delivery, tho your gestures shock every
rule in Quintilian, you will command the ear and influence the debates

of the most accomplished, the most fastidious, and, take it altogether,
the noblest assembly of freemen in the world."
Keep in mind that the purpose of your public speaking is not only to
convince but also to persuade your hearers. It is not sufficient that they
merely agree with what you say; you must persuade them also to act as
you desire.
Hence you should aim to reach both their minds and hearts. Solid
argument, clear method, and indisputable facts are necessary for the
first purpose; vivid imagination, concrete illustration, and animated
feeling are necessary for the second.
THE NEED OF A KNOWLEDGE OF HUMAN NATURE
It will be of great practical value to you to have a knowledge of the
average man comprising your audience, his tastes, preferences,
prejudices, and proclivities. The more you adapt your speech to such an
average man, the more successful are you likely to be in influencing the
entire audience.
Aim, therefore, to use words, phrases, illustrations, and arguments such
as you think the average man will readily understand. Avoid anything
which would cause confusion, distraction, or prejudice in his mind. Use
every reasonable means to win his good will and approval.
Your speech is not a monolog, but a dialog, in which you are the
speaker, and the auditor a silent tho questioning listener. His mind is in
a constant attitude of interrogation toward you. And upon the degree of
your success in answering such silent but insistent questions will
depend the ultimate success of your speaking.
The process of persuading the hearer depends chiefly upon first being
persuaded yourself. You may be devoid of feeling, and yet convince
your hearers; but to reach their hearts and to move them surely toward
the desired purpose, you must yourself be moved.
Your work as a public speaker is radically different from that of the

actor or reciter. You are not impersonating some one else, nor
interpreting the thought of another. You must above all things be
natural, real, sincere and earnest. Your work is creative and
constructive.
THE RIGHT ATTITUDE OF A SPEAKER
However much you may study, plan, or premeditate, there must be no
indication of conscious or studied attempt in the act of speaking to an
audience. At that time everything must be merged into your
personality.
Your earnestness in speaking arises principally from having a distinct
conception of the object aimed at and a strong desire to accomplish it.
Under these circumstances you summon to your aid all your available
power of thought and feeling. Your mental faculties are stimulated into
their fullest activity, and you bend every effort toward the purpose
before you.
But however zealous you may feel about the truth or righteousness of
the cause you espouse, you will do well always to keep within the
bounds of moderation. You can be vigorous without violence, and
enthusiastic without extravagance.
You must not only thoroughly know yourself and your subject, but also
your audience. You should carefully consider the best way to bring
them and yourself into unity. You may do this by making an appeal to
some principle commonly recognized and approved by men, such as
patriotism, justice, humanity, courage, duty, or righteousness.
What Phillips Brooks said about the preacher, applies with equal truth
to other forms of public speaking:
"Whatever is in the sermon must be in the preacher first; clearness,
logicalness, vivacity, earnestness, sweetness, and light, must be
personal qualities in him before they are qualities of thought and
language in what he utters to his people."

After you have earnestly studied the principles of public speaking you
should plan to have regular and frequent practise in addressing actual
audiences. There are associations and societies everywhere, constantly
in quest of good speakers. There will be ample opportunities for you if
you have properly developed your speaking abilities.
And now to sum