“The Importance of Elocution and Captivating Speeches”

V.S. Balakrishna Pillai

AI happened to attend a meeting of the Malayalees held in Des Plaines, America. This note was inspired by the welcome speech heard there. It was, to say the least, unpleasant. The welcome speaker was well-dressed. It doesn’t matter. Mars could not say a single sentence. The audience breathed a sigh of relief when the friend left the stage with a sort of welcome. This is not the first experience. There is no small annoyance when speeches, especially welcome speeches, are unnecessarily and tediously extended. Not being able to know the mind of the audience and not being able to know what is expected from him is the reason why the speech becomes boring.

This incident points to the need for children to develop interest in the art of elocution during their school education. Listening to a speech that rhymes and rhymes all together gives the pleasure of watching a good performance. Speech is able to create knowledge of what to do and how to do it. The beginning of any speech is very important. The audience’s attention should be captured in two or three sentences. There are a few things to keep in mind when standing in the pulpit. You should stand on your feet and look at the listeners alternately, and speak in an appropriate tone. There are other things that can be achieved through training. Important among them are posture, gaze, body movements, expression and voice control. It means that movements and postures should be completely natural. Make fun of memorized phrases and structured quotes.

Speech should be concise and simple. Don’t use the same sentences. Repeating sounds and words over and over can be annoying. Clarity of pronunciation is paramount. Do not start the next sentence without finishing the first sentence. Mars should tell the truth without twisting and trying the listeners’ patience. Start slowly and gradually build up to maximum volume. Any speaker has various goals, such as to inspire, excite, and entertain the audience. Language, posture and tone should also be changed according to the situation according to the topic. The context and timing of the speech are factors that influence the listener’s enjoyment. An experience of prolonging the speech without regard to the mood of the audience may be added here as well.

A religious discourse had to be given in connection with a temple festival. According to the notice, lecture at 8 pm. A play by a famous troupe from ten o’clock. Pretty good crowd. Mostly women. Most of them came just to watch the play. The sermon started at nine o’clock. About an hour will pass. The listeners seemed to be listening with interest.

At this time the festival committee secretary came and whispered something in my ear. The theater group has not arrived. The speech should continue until they come. I agreed. I passed the time by unashamedly reciting mythological stories, etc., which I myself had told many times in the nearby temples. It was clear from the facial expressions of those in front that no one was paying attention to the lecture. For many people, it is enough to get over this death. I am continuing the practice with twisted geese and pinky tales. There is nothing. A strong howl began. Confused, I retreated with a pale face. My mistake was to ignore the principle of ‘mitam chah saram chah’. Although I heard the shouts, I can rest assured that my experience will be a lesson to the children who enter the pulpit.