almost any man, however unpretentious his language, will command
a hearing in Congress, Parliament, or elsewhere, if he gives accurate information upon a
subject of importance and in a manner of unquestioned sincerity.
You will observe in the historical accounts of great orators, that without a single
exception they studied, read, practised, conversed, and meditated, not occasionally, but
with daily regularity. Many of them were endowed with natural gifts, but they
supplemented these with indefatigable work.
Well-known Speakers and Their Methods
Chalmers
There is a rugged type of speaker who transcends and seemingly defies all rules of
oratory. Such a man was the great Scottish preacher Chalmers, who was without polished
elocution, grace, or manner, but who through his intellectual power and moral
earnestness thrilled all who heard him.
He read his sermons entirely from manuscripts, but it is evident from the effects of his
preaching that he was not a slave to the written word as many such speakers have been.
While he read, he retained much of his freedom of gesture and physical expression,
doubtless due to familiarity with his subject and thorough preparation of his message.
John Bright
You can profitably study the speeches of John Bright. They are noteworthy for their
simplicity of diction and uniform quality of directness. His method was to make a plain
statement of facts, enunciate certain fundamental principles, then follow with his
argument and application.
His choice of words and style of delivery were most carefully studied, and his sonorous
voice was under such complete control that he could speak at great length without the
slightest fatigue. Many of his illustrations were drawn from the Bible, which he is said to
have known better than any other book.
Lord Brougham
Lord Brougham wrote nine times the concluding parts of his speech for the defense of
Queen Caroline. He once told a young man that if he wanted to speak well he must first
learn to talk well. He recognized that good talking was the basis of effective public
speaking.
Bear in mind, however, that this does not mean you are always to confine yourself to a
conversational level. There are themes which demand large treatment, wherein vocal
power and impassioned feeling are appropriate and essential. But what Lord Brougham
meant, and it is equally true to-day, was that good public speaking is fundamentally good
talking.
Edmund Burke
Edmund Burke recommended debate as one of the best means for developing facility and
power in public speaking. Himself a master of debate, he said, "He that wrestles with us
strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Our antagonist is our helper. This amiable
conflict with difficulty obliges us to have an intimate acquaintance with our subject, and
compels us to consider it in all its relations. It will not suffer us to be superficial."
Burke, like all great orators, believed in premeditation, and always wrote and corrected
his speeches with fastidious care. While such men knew that inspiration might come at
the moment of speaking, they preferred to base their chances of success upon painstaking
preparation.
Massillon
Massillon, the great French divine, spoke in a commanding voice and in a style so direct
that at times he almost overwhelmed his hearers. His pointed and personal questions
could not be evaded. He sent truth like fiery darts to the hearts of his hearers.
I ask you to note very carefully the following eloquent passage from a sermon in which
he explained how men justified themselves because they were no worse than the
multitude:
"On this account it is, my brethren, that I confine myself to you who at present are
assembled here; I include not the rest of men, but consider you as alone existing on the
earth. The idea which occupies and frightens me is this: I figure to myself the present as
your last hour and the end of the world; that the heavens are going to open above your
heads; our Savior, in all His glory, to appear in the midst of the temple; and that you are
only assembled here to wait His coming; like trembling criminals on whom the sentence
is to be pronounced, either of life eternal or of everlasting death; for it is vain to flatter
yourselves that you shall die more innocent than you are at this hour. All those desires of
change with which you are amused will continue to amuse you till death arrives, the
experience of all ages proves it; the only difference you have to expect will most likely be
a larger balance against you than what you would have to answer for at present; and from
what would be your destiny were you to be judged this moment, you may almost decide
upon what will take place at your departure from life.
Continue reading on your phone by scaning this QR Code
Tip: The current page has been bookmarked automatically. If you wish to continue reading later, just open the
Dertz Homepage, and click on the 'continue reading' link at the bottom of the page.