The scholars of rhetoric from the ancient times encouraged the use of questions to “discover” the arguments and content of the speech. (Actually chapters 5, 7, 12, and 13 also deal with invention.) Although in modern times we tend to think of invention as the creation of a new technology, invention basically means “discovery” of what to say. The first canon, invention, or inventio, is discussed, at least in part, in this chapter. That process is still a practical guide for today. A speech designed to be persuasive can also be informative and entertaining, even if neither of those is the main purpose.Īs we saw in Chapter 1, the canons of rhetoric is the traditional way to explain the process of preparing a speech. It should be understood that these three purposes are not necessarily exclusive of the others. The broad, overall goal of a speech to inform, to persuade, to entertain, etc. These four types of speeches fit into the category of “to inspire” or “to entertain.” This book has chapters on and examples of all three types (Chapters 12, 13, and 15). The third one might be a special occasion speech, such as a tribute (commemorative), an after-dinner speech, a toast, or a eulogy. Your instructor will most likely assign you an informative and a persuasive speech, and then perhaps one more. Perhaps you could think of them as appealing to the understanding of the audience (informative), the will or action (persuasive), and the emotion or pleasure. These broad goals are commonly known as a speech’s general purpose, since, in general, you are trying to inform, persuade, or entertain/inspire your audience without regard to specifically what the topic will be.
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We will just use “to inspire” as the overall term here. Speeches have traditionally been seen to have one of three broad purposes: to inform, to persuade, and- Well, to be honest, different words are used for the third kind of speech purpose: to inspire, to amuse, to please, to delight, or to entertain.
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Also you will be able to make strategic decisions about other aspects of the speech, such as organization, supporting evidence, and visual aids. Doing so will help you focus your speech to a manageable amount of content and become more audience-centered. That is understandable, but before we go any further, let’s recalibrate our minds to think also, or even more, about “purpose.” There are some benefits to considering purpose and topic simultaneously. Often when we get to the point of sitting down to prepare a speech, we think about topics. In this chapter we are going to get into the real meat of putting your speech together. So far in this book we have examined many practical and theoretical aspects of public speaking as a method of communicating and as an art form.