Before you listen, read the text of the speech. as you read over the text, take a structured approach to analyzing this historic speech.
learn about the speaker’s personal background. the personal background may include anything from the orator’s personal characteristics and traits, such as leadership qualities, to the person’s style, delivery, and ability to improvise.
research the background of the speech to understand the historical context that it was written in, the attitudes of the people at the time, and the major issues that concerned them.
ask the question “why? ” to understand the purpose of the speech. why was the speech made? what did the speaker hope to achieve by addressing the audience?
ask who the audience was. knowing the characteristics of the audience will you understand what their concerns and motivations were, why they were willing to listen to the speaker, and what influences they were open to. knowing the audience you understand the issues that the speaker touches upon in the speech.
analyze the message of a speech, or its content. the content represents the main issues that were raised (or addressed) and the arguments that were made in the speech. the speaker conveys the content using rhetoric and emotional and logical appeals. what issues did the speaker mention? what facts were excluded? why might that be? what answers did the speaker give to the audience’s questions, if any? were the facts mentioned in the speech accurate?
as you analyze the speech, fill in the table by making notes using the questions provided below. you can also annotate the text with your own questions. asking and answering questions about the speech will you better understand the craft, structure, and purpose of the speech.
you can read about rhetorical situations and rhetorical strategies to with your analysis.