Dear speech-fans and -friends,
From the dozens of speeches delivered this
month, what stands out in terms of speeches and speechwriting ?
A few good lines that use classical rhetorical
devices to make their point.
And two female voices taking the stage: rage
after yet another mass shooting in a US school in the voice of a young student
packing her 10-minute speech with an impressive collection of rhetorical
devices; and the new hostess to the Munich Security Conference.
I wonder what you, speech-fans and –friends,
think of these two especially. Let me know.
And, to celebrate the Treaty of Rome anniversary next month, a new book dedicated to great Europeans’ speeches in the bibliography section.
Best wishes,
Great speeches,
Isabelle
Two female voices taking the stage
We are going to be the kids you read about
in textbooks. Not because we're going to be another statistic about mass
shooting in America, but because (…)
we are going to be the last mass
shooting.
- For this and many other rhetorical devices (in addition to a lot of pathos, contrats, repetitions, litanies, quotes, striking figures, call for action, inspiring precedents, getting the audience involved etc.), read or watch here Florida student Emma Gonzalez, 18 February 2018
- Sophia opens a conference, makes eye-contact and even winks at the audience, but can Sophia tell a personal and compelling story ?
Watch Robot Sophia opening the Munich Security Conference, 15 February 2018.
More classical rhetoric: watch here the power of a prop
Building the speaker’s ethos
We see that the Second
World War is slipping away from living memory, simply because the generation
who lived through the 1930s and the war are gradually leaving us. We are
arriving at the turning point where living memory is substituted by written
history.
Distance in time has the
same effect as distance in space: the events disappear from view, suffering is
felt less acutely, and budding threats are perceived less keenly (…)
But read the first line
of the Schuman Declaration of 1950: "World peace cannot be safeguarded
without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which
threaten it."
This then is the
original raison d'être of European integration.
The power of stories:
They decided to try
something new (…).
So what was the
result?
To end this unbearable
suspense and get the story, read
the full speech here: Carlos Moedas, First Gago Conference on European Science
Policy, 14 February 2018
Of the many attributes
that the Japanese and Germans have in common, one stands out for me in
particular, namely our enthusiasm for European classical music. This is
probably true first and foremost of Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, which
is a symbol of the joy we take in music. Many are aware of the fact that this
wonderful work is the anthem of the European Union. However, what many people
do not know is that it also tells a story of Japanese-German history.
To get this story, read
the full speech here: Frank-Walter Steinmeier, on the occasion of his visit to
Japan, 6 February 2018
Contrasts
We are here to turn good
will and good intentions into good actions and good results.
Because that is what our
fellow Europeans – and not just Europeans, people worldwide - expect of us.
(…) The sooner this
legislation is adopted, the sooner you can start planning with certainty for
the future. This is what I get back a lot from industry: "Give us the
certainty, so we can plan for the future."
We had some luck along
the way but we also made our own luck. When faced with the wake-up call,
Europe's leaders and institutions came together. We chose unity.
Together, we chose to
rally around a common positive agenda and renew our vows to our Union of
solidarity.
And the results start to
speak for themselves.
Every economy in our
Union is now growing healthily. Employment is at an all-time high, unemployment
at a 9-year low.
Building a rapport with
the audience
Je viens là parce que le
président Sall m’y a invité et parce que vous, monsieur le maire, le 12
décembre dernier m’avez interpellé à Paris, lors du Sommet pour le climat en me
disant : mais que faites-vous pour l’érosion côtière, venez voir chez nous la
réalité, venez voir ce que vivent les habitants de Saint-Louis.
Alors nous sommes là, je
suis là avec vous pour voir, et nous avons vu l’érosion côtière, la peur, les
murs qui tombent, l’activité économique détruite et la ville qui peu à peu
recule devant ce que certains parfois veulent encore nier, les effets du
changement climatique.
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