The Art of Public Speaking

Public Speaking as an Art

Public speaking is a type of speech in which a person delivers a message to a public audience. It is considered an art because it includes different aspects of one’s personality, mental organization, and capacity to regulate movement. Both of these approaches apply to how a speaker handles a crowd and how the audience receives the speech. Many people recognize the significance of superiority. Few, however, are committed enough to take the required measures to ensure that the expertise is acquired. For instance, the majority of the people only get to read public speaking materials whenever they are in a classroom (Schreiber and Hartranft 1), or are about to give a speech within a limited time. However, this art, like any other, is learned over a long period of time, and thus requires practice. Some of the things that constitute a great speech include appropriate selection of topic, clear organization, an engaging introduction, well-founded ideas, as well as closure at the end. Many other support mechanisms may be applied to increase the effectiveness of a speech.

Origins of Public Speaking

Public speaking has its roots in the Ancient Greek and Roman societies, where it was referred to as ‘rhetoric’. It served three fundamental purposes: cultivation of the mind, horning of one’s convincing skills, and attaining of high moral standards in thought and character (DeCaro 10). Like any other art, public speaking has undergone transformation from the basic rhetoric in the ages of absent media to today’s form in which televisions, radios, and the Internet are used as medium of communication. It grew through the Roman Empire, Renaissance period, through to the Christian era and modern era. The dialect, approach to subjects, as well as the consideration for ethos, logos, and pathos have been altered through the years to suit a today’s lifestyles in different societies.

Works Cited

DeCaro, Peter A. “Chapter 2: Origins of public speaking.” Public Speaking: The Virtual Text. www.publicspeakingproject.org, 2013. 1-10. Online. .

Schreiber, Lisa and Morgan Hartranft. “introduction to public speaking.” Public Speaking: The Virtual Text. 2013. 1-12. Online. .