The Lost Art of the Great Speech: How to Write It * How to Deliver It

Chapter Eleven. Get Personal

We have covered similes, analogies, and metaphors—three different but related rhetorical devices that speech writers often use to illustrate points by comparing one thing to another. We've discussed quotations—why they're effective, where to find them, and how to use them. The discussion of quotations is one of my favorite parts of this book. I love quotations. I enjoy browsing in a book of quotations, and I collect quotations. When I read or hear something I like, I jot it down and drop it in a file. If you write or deliver speeches, that's a good practice to adopt.

I also enjoy anecdotes, which to a speech writer are almost as useful as quotations. An anecdote is a short, factual, interesting, and often amusing ...