Writing an Introduction for Your Declamation



Writing an Introduction for Your Rhetorical Devices Speech

Before writing the introduction, think about what your audience needs to know to better understand your speech. What is the main idea of your speech? What is the mood or tone of your speech? How can you connect with the audience through shared experiences or values? How can you incorporate emotional appeal? Can you make it creative?

Your introductions should be 20-45 seconds without rushing.

Your introduction should include the following:

1. An attention getting device: a quote, a rhetorical question, a startling fact or statistic, an anecdote, a vivid image, an allusion to something important in literature or history.

2. Transition or background if necessary.

3. Something to help prepare your readers to better understand the speech: an expression of the main idea, something to set the tone or mood, a summary of the sections you are leaving out, etc.

4. The date and/or the occasion the speech was delivered.

5. Where it was delivered.

6. To whom it was delivered.

7. The author of the speech.

Arrange the information in a way that entices your audience and builds to an emotional concluding sentence. Remember to use transitional words and phrases and to combine ideas to create fluency.

Sample Introductions

Famed poet Carl Sandburg once said, “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” Most of us pursue dreams and aspirations, but one man changed the world with his dream. In a speech delivered to over 200,000 supporters during a civil rights rally on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke out for equality for all races in what many believe is the most famous and important speech of all time: “I Have a Dream.”

Famed poet Carl Sandburg once said, “Nothing happens unless first we dream.” (attention getting device: Quote)

Most of us pursue dreams and aspirations, but one man changed the world with his dream. (link and connection to audience)

In a speech delivered to over 200,000 supporters during a civil rights rally on August 28, 1963, from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, (where, when, and to whom it was delivered)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (speaker) spoke out for equality for all races (main idea) in what many believe is the most famous and important speech of all time: (importance) “I Have a Dream.” (title)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More Examples of Introductions for Declamations

Rhetorical Question:

Jesus Christ and Congress…connected? According to former Senator Sam Nunn, yes, our legislation should reflect our Christian values. In addition, Nunn believes every individual needs to take moral responsibility for the future of our world. He brought home this point at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 1, 1996, with his swan song speech, “The Whole World Is Watching.”

Startling Statistic

Sixty percent of Americans say they oppose war with Iraq. However, Alabama State Auditor Beth Chapman is not one of those people. At a patriotic rally in Shelby County, Tennessee, just ten days before “Operation Iraqi Freedom” began, Chapman gave the following speech. At the conclusion of the speech, 1200 people rose to their feet in applause. “Stand up for America,” by Beth Chapman.

Quote

John Bunyan, an English priest, once said, “You have not lived until you have done something for someone who can never repay you.” The Rotary Club, which epitomizes this idea, is donating $320 million for scholarships nationwide and immunizing one billion children worldwide against polio. In the following address delivered at the installation of Dr. Ray Den Adel as governor of a district of the Rotary Club in Rockford, Illinois, on June 27, 1997, John Howard explains what motivates the club to help others so selflessly in “America’s Quiet Gift to the Other People.”

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download