Guidelines for a Speech of Praise
Encomium is a “composition expository of excellences.” The goal is to celebrate an
exemplary person, place, thing, event, idea, etc. in order to describe and amplify virtues for
living. That is, one speaks in praise of the subject-matter not just to celebrate it for its own
sake, but rather for us. Indeed, the subject of the speech should not be the person/event,
etc. at all but the virtues they embody and exemplify.
Directions for Composition/Arrangement
1. Begin with an artful introduction that is appropriate for your speech topic.
a. Produce a strong first line. Epideictic speeches often begin with a narrative
or a moment of concrete description.
b. Establish your credibility and good will.
c. Consider culminating in a central idea that provides a “map” or a preview of
the following speech (though this is not always appropriate for epideictic
speeches).
2. Consider including a “statement of facts” section that tells us what we need to know
about the subject. (Don’t weigh this section down too much).
3. Detail the virtues of your subject
a. If you are praising a person, describe their deeds and frame them as the
result of their excellences of mind and character
i. Consider: courage, prudence, gentleness, persistence, pride, humility,
power, generosity, compassion, etc. etc.
b. If you are praising an object, event, place, idea, etc. be sure to connect
abstract virtues with concrete experiences.
4. Connect these virtues to our own lives, culture, etc.
a. How can the excellences of character you have celebrated provide models
for living that we can use?
b. How does your model/subject supplement a lack or help us to achieve our
“better selves”?
5. Conclude artfully and in a way appropriate to your speech topic.
a. Here you should amplify and elevate
b. Consider calling us to take on the task of living in accord with the model you
have provided.
c. Remember that your last line should be artful and memorable.
Virtues and Vices to Consider:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Courage (bravery, fortitude) vs. Cowardice (shirking duty, failure in responsibility)
Temperance vs. Indulgence
Justice vs. Injustice
Generosity vs. Selfishness and Greed
Prudence (sound decision making) vs. Rashness and lack of common sense
Gentleness and Compassion vs. Brutality
Fidelity vs. Disloyality
Guidelines for a Speech of Blame
Vituperation is a “composition expository of evils and vices.” The goal is to criticize
person, place, thing, event, idea, etc. in order to describe and amplify general pitfalls for
living. That is, one speaks against the subject-matter not just to blame and shame it for its
own sake, but rather for us. Indeed, the subject of the speech should not be the
person/event, etc. at all but the vices they embody and exemplify—so that we can choose
better.
Directions for Composition/Arrangement
1. Begin with an artful introduction that is appropriate for your speech topic.
a. Produce a strong first line. Epideictic speeches often begin with a narrative
or a moment of concrete description.
b. Establish your credibility and good will.
c. Consider culminating in a central idea that provides a “map” or a preview of
the following speech (though this is not always appropriate for epideictic
speeches).
2. Consider including a “statement of facts” section that tells us what we need to know
about the subject. (Don’t weigh this section down too much).
3. Detail the vices of your subject
a. If you are shaming a person, describe their deeds and frame them as the
result of their vices of mind and character
i. Consider: laziness, greed, thoughtlessness, vanity, sadism, shortsightedness, vulgarity, haste, wastefulness, foolishness, etc.)
b. If you are blaming an object, event, place, idea, etc. be sure to connect
abstract virtues with concrete experiences.
4. Connect these vices to our own lives, culture, etc.
a. How can the problems of character you have identified lead us all astray?
b. How, then, might your words help us to avoid these pitfalls and problems?
5. Conclude artfully and in a way appropriate to your speech topic.
a. Here you should amplify and elevate
b. Consider calling us to take on the task of living correctly and avoiding the
model that you have presented. That is, like in an encomium, you must
provide an image of good conduct for the audience. However, you should do
so via negation: e.g. “America, we are better than this.”
c. Remember that your last line should be artful and memorable.
General Guidelines:
Epideictic speeches tend to be artfully worded throughout and crisply delivered. Be sure to
work on language and “style” to give your speech a buoyant, literary quality. These
speeches also must carefully blend abstract ideas (courage, compassion, etc) with tangible
concrete details that make these ideas come alive. Be sure to write good concrete narrative.
Lastly, you will be attempting to provide models for right conduct—that requires real ethos.
Be sure that your writing and (especially) delivery present your own character well.