Editing Public Speaking (Summer 2019)/Advocacy Speech (section)

=== Good advocacy speeches (64 - 71) ===

;Invention and Arrangement: In good speeches, the argument is clear. Most parts of the ill are discussed well. There may be a few passages that don’t feel as if they fit the ill quite as well. The evidence is appropriate, but, at times, can take away from the speech’s momentum. As with the ills, the cures are also generally well argued. Good speeches have strong argument congruency, but the fit isn’t as perfect as in in excellent speeches. This could be because the speaker’s cures don’t cover all of the ills discussed or that the cures seem to address a related ill, but not exactly the one discussed. Finally, the calls to action are relevant and doable. While in excellent speeches, these calls are informative and concise, the class to action in good speeches aren’t quite as clear. After listening to the speech, audience members may still have some questions about what they need to do in order to take up the action.

Good speeches have a strong sense of flow. That said, unlike excellent speeches, there are parts of good speeches that might “wander” or “lack focus.” The speech has a sense of forward momentum, but the overall structure simply isn’t as tight as an excellent speech. The sections have some sense of tonal difference. While there may not be as many tones and/or the differences may not be as significant as in the excellent speech, such tones are present.

;Style: Good speeches have some excellent language use. Many of the stylistic devices are integrated well into the speech. However, there are two different voices in the speech: the stylistic one and the regular one. Whereas an excellent speech has a consistent high style throughout, the good speeches tack back and forth between a rich and overly plain style.

;Memory and Delivery: In good speeches, the performer has devoted a fair bit of time and energy to finding the best delivery style. However, unlike excellent speeches, good speeches have moments of great delivery (as opposed to great delivery from beginning to end). Good speakers appear comfortable in the space, but they don’t have a consistent presence. The speaker’s volume is appropriate for the space: loud enough to command attention, but not so loud as to reduce the range of emotion available to the speaker.  The speaker has some good vocal variety and pacing, but there are also some places in the speech where the delivery drags a bit.