Archive for October, 2005

Some “seasoned” speakers still depend upon eloquent language and bombastic delivery to excite their listeners, but their style is fading fast. The radio first undermined the emotional technique, and TV has fairly well finished tearing away any oratorical tinsel, so that public speaking now strives to appeal to men’s minds rather than to their emotions.

The modern public speaker does not rely upon elocution but upon the meat of his talk. He makes sure that his talk makes sense and embodies some degree of originality involving old ideas expressed in a new way. He realizes that words alone don’t make a speech, the ideas are what count. He recognizes the difference between a man talking because he has something to say, and the man talking because he has to say something.

When he believes what he says and sincerely tries to sell the idea, he automatically speaks clearly, calmly, and properly places his pauses. His sincerity puts across his talk; and when his talk goes over, he’s a good speaker. The change in emphasis from emotionalism to straightforwardness has materially promoted interest in public speaking. As more people learned how readily they could become competent speakers, the impact of public speaking’s popularity became apparent. Most of us have the makings: lungs, larynx and lips with which to talk, and we have brains to conjure up ideas. Successful public speaking merely blends them together.

Fewer people hesitate to convey a thought when the thought rather than its conveyor captures the attention of the audience. This change in style and pace makes public speaking attractive to many people who are shy by nature and shun group contacts. People usually have no fear about talking to their kinfolk, neighbors or friends why then should they fear to speak in public? Where once it appealed primarily to the brash and brazen individuals, public speaking now appeals as well to more modest men.

Private Conversation and Public Speaking

The only difference between private conversation and public speaking is that in a speech there is no exchange of remarks. Other than that the speech is conversation addressed to more than one listener. A good example is when a man is talking to one individual and another person joins them. More people are attracted and as the group grows the conversationalist is no longer carrying on a conversation -he’s making a speech. He must raise the volume of his voice so that he can be heard-yet he should retain the informal manner which is the most effective style.

Since chautauqua tent elecutionists rendered “The Bells,” there’s been a complete change in speaking style. During that culture-under-canvas era, the pitch of a voice fluctuated with every bell-from the loud peal in a belfry to the faint tinkle as Bossie meandered over the meadow. For the most part the delivery measured the worth of those speeches.

A “seasoned” speaker opened in temperance-meeting cadence, warmed up to a pipe organ’s crescendo, and ended on the pitch of a soul-saver at a mountain meeting . . . pulling the tremolo stops only after the sound of his shouting carried half a mile when the wind was right. He timed his pauses with a veteran’s precision, radiating good will and beaming his blessings on his listeners while he droned on to a studied climax.

He was so involved in selling himself that he usually obscured his subject. He merely mouthed words that a mountain boy described as being the same as an ice cream soda; nothing but sweet wind. Also gone the way of the old-fashioned exhibitionist is the equally unappealing speaker who rants, raves, or weaves back and forth in sock-darning fashion over one worn-out thought. He’s in a league with the collar wilter who talks so fast he says things he hasn’t even thought of yet, or those oratorical flights that keep a speaker circling the field or constantly buzzing the landing strip.

The fellow who constantly circles can’t find the terminal site. Although he gives a good flight, his ability is doubtful. The buzzing boy overworks his anti-climax when he comes in for a landing, by suddenly “giving it the gun” and then he’s off again into the wild blue yonder.