Speech Guru

Author: Susan B. Anthony Year: 1873 Location: Washington, D.C. Occasion: Reaction to the arrest for illegal voting Critical Commentary: The preceding events of this speech were amazing and seemingly impossible in today’s societies, as far as Susan Anthony was sued for the illegal vote in the presidential election (1872). The…

Author: George Washington Year: 1783 Location: Newburgh, New York Occasion: Continental Army officers meeting Critical Commentary: The meeting of Continental Army officers was carried out in the end of the Revolutionary War. They prepared to protest against the Congress, which failed to honor their services to the country. The officers…

Author: Abraham Lincoln Year: 1861 Location: Washington, DC Occasion: Inaugural address (1st) Critical Commentary: Lincoln’s inauguration speech was delivered in the high point of the Secession. These were the restless times of the national upheaval of the American Civil War. Two weeks before Lincoln’s inauguration, Jefferson Davis has been inaugurated…

Author: Al Gore Year: 2000 Location: Washington, D.C. Occasion: Address to the audience via national TV Critical Commentary: This speech was delivered by Al Gore, one of candidates for the presidential office in 2000. The presidential races were tough and in the end it turned out that the outcome of…

Author: Edward III Year: 1936 Location: England Occasion: Radio broadcast to the world audience Critical Commentary: This consistent and sustained speech was delivered by King Edward III on the day of his abdication. He was the only British monarch ever to resign voluntarily. His story could serve as the plot…

Author: William FaulknerYear: 1950Location: Stockholm, SwedenOccasion: Nobel Prize Acceptance Critical Commentary: William Faulkner was an outstanding American writer who did not want to be seen as a litterateur, but rather as “a farmer who lies to tell stories”, as he had mentioned. He avoided making speeches and the necessary Nobel Prize acceptance speech was…

Definition A speech delivered on accepting some award or a high rank (e.g. presidency). Structurally, the acceptance speech can be considered a variant of a thank you speech but the expression of gratitude it contains is rather symbolic because the nominee him/herself has made a great contribution to science/politics/etc. Structure/outline…