Matt McGarrity

Immediately after Donald Trump finished his State of the Union Address last week, the media started talking about the president’s content, style, and delivery. What did he say? How did he say it? The ancient art of rhetoric encourages speakers and listeners to also think about a speech’s arrangement.  The rhetorician Quintilian famously likened speech arrangement to military generalship, knowing when and how to deploy certain forces.

As a speech teacher at the University of Washington, I listen to speeches for utility. Can I use this in class? Will it help novice speakers improve? I think Oprah Winfrey’s recent Golden Globes speech is a useful teaching example. There’s a lot going on in those eight minutes, but I would direct students (and anyone interested in breaking down her talk) to watch for two main things: