The Language of Oratory

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The Language of Oratory
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Definition

• The skill of making powerful and persuasive
  speeches
• The derived word oration, originally used for
  prayer since c.1375, now means any formal speech,
  as on a ceremonial occasion or delivered in a
  similarly high-flown or pompous manner

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The Language of Oratory

• Rhetorical devices
• Personal pronouns
• Emotive language
• Sound devices
• Figurative language
• Other oratorical devices

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• Rhetorical
• Devices

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Rhetorical Devices

• 1) Rhetorical question
• a question is asked for effect, but not
  necessarily needing to be answered.
• 2) Exaggeration
• trying to impress or influence by overstating a
  viewpoint, statement or idea

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Rhetorical Devices

• 3) Contrast/Juxtaposition
• when two opposite viewpoints, ideas
• or concepts are placed close to each
• other for effect.
• 4) Quotations from well-known sources
• such as the Bible, television, movies, proverbs
  and cliches

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• Personal
• Pronouns

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Personal Pronouns

• 1) Pronouns to address the audience
• basically to address them as a group, but not
• necessarily to persuade them at this stage.
• 2) Pronouns to include the audience
• speakers want the audience to be on their side
  and
• agree with their ideas/statements.
• 3) Pronouns to exclude or distance the audience
• sometimes we want to distance the audience from
• those who have differing arguments

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• Emotive
• Language

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Emotive Language

• 1) Words with Positive Connotation
• warm fuzzy words to get the audience on your
  side.
• 2) Words with Negative Connotation
• the opposite effects to positively charged
  emotive words
• 3) Contrast/Juxtaposition
• positive and negative words in close proximity
  can
• highlight and improve the effectiveness of your
  ideas

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• Sound Devices

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Sound Devices

• 1) Alliteration
• repeating the initial consonant of a group of
  words for
• aural effect and impact
• 2) Assonance
• repeating vowel sounds for aural effect and
  impact

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Sound Devices

• 3) Onomatopoeia
• the words used sound like the thing or concept
• being described
• 4) Rhyming
• - words sounding similar that are pleasant to
  the ear
• - listener can almost predict a part of the
  speech.

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• Figurative
• Language

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Figurative Language

• 1) Metaphor
• - describing two unrelated
• things using direct
• comparison.
• - sometimes the metaphor can
• be drawn out and becomes
• an Extended Metaphor.

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Figurative Language

• 2) Simile
• describing two unrelated things or ideas using
  the linkers
• like or as
• 3) Personification
• giving human qualities to non human or inanimate
  things

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• Other Oratorical Devices

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Other Oratorical Devices

• 1) Repetition
• hammer home a point and make it memorable
• 2) Parallel Structure
• like repetition, except that phrases and groups
  of words
• are repeated for effect.
• 3) Listing
• to emphasise important points