Analysis of the Speech Earl Spencer Gave at Princess Diana's Funeral

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Recommended: Public speaking skills and why they matter essay 800 words

This semester I had the chance to take The Fundamentals of Speech Communication, this course has taught me so much on how my presence and performance in front of a group can affect the way my speech comes across. During this course, I had the opportunity to research and discover different speakers who have given amazing and inspirational speeches. Speaking has been around for a very long time, and our understanding of it comes to us at a very young age. I have researched and watched many great speeches but only one has really moved me. The speech I have chosen is the speech that Earl Spencer gave at his sisters, Princess Diana, funeral. (Staple, 2013)

Charles Edward Maurice Spencer was Princess Diana’s younger brother, he was born May 20th 1964. He is an author, print journalist and broadcaster, which explains his speech techniques and his artistic wording. Princess Diana passed away August 31, 1997 during a terrible car accident in Paris, France. The funeral was 6 days later on September 6, 1997, the funeral was heald at Westminter Abbey.

Earl Spencer used many non-verbal many techniques during his speech to show his emotion in his words. Non-verbal is a type of communication when you do not use words or speech to potray how you feel or how it was written. Non-verbal techniques include stance, eye contact, hands, proximity and platform, facial expression, voicing, rates, articulation, pausing, pitch and tone.

A good stance and good posture are crucial for two reasons: first of all, to inspire confidence in an audience, and secondly, to aid the speaker, physiologically, in a strong delivery. Physiologically, good posture helps a speaker in two key ways. One, circulation is maximised, which means that there are no unconscious...

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...ts; his intent is to educate us on Diana and her life.

To conclude, I have learned so much from this course. It was really helped me with my insecurities during public speaking and has given me tips on how to be more comfortable. It also gave me the knowledge of knowing when someone is a good speaker and when someone is a dull speaker, which is why I was so drawn to Earl Spencer speech. It is a very unusual speech since it is at a funeral and isn’t to motivate or inspire people like many other great speakers, but it made me feel something deep within. His speech made you feel his sadness and confusion over the death of the beloved Princess and sister. When I think of a great public speaker, I think of someone who can move you and bring out emotions with only his words. Earl Spencer did that to me, and I am grateful for the amazing speakers who can do the same.

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