The Classical Approach to Speech Preparation

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The speech preparation process that we outline in this book is based on principles of rhetoric that have been taught and learned for over 2,400 years. As we noted in Chapter 1, Aristotle wrote a systematic analysis of rhetorical practices in the fourth century BCE. Cicero (106–43 BCE)—a Roman lawyer, a politician, and one of history’s most famed orators—elaborated on these concepts. During this time, rhetoric was a highly prized skill that citizens used to present and defend their ideas in public forums.

In his treatise De inventione, Cicero maintained that effective speakers attend to five key matters while preparing a speech—invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery. Contemporary scholars refer to these five concepts as the classical canons of rhetoric. These five canons form the basis of speech preparation to this day. Here, we take a closer look at each one:

The five canons—invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery—inform the steps you will follow to prepare and deliver an effective speech. Next, we discuss how to use these principles to craft a speech. This material in Chapter 2 serves two purposes. First, it introduces you to the steps in the preparation process for any speech. Second, it covers information about each step that will help you prepare for an early-in-the-term speech that has been assigned before you have covered the later chapters in more detail.