A commemoration speech is a talk that people give at special events as a way to celebrate, recall, or show respect for something, somebody, or a place. For instance, a person can give this speech to celebrate a group, a person, a place, a situation, an event, an idea, or an institution. Some people also call it a ceremonial speech.
So, is a eulogy a commemorative speech? This is probably the question lingering in your mind right now. Well, the answer is yes. A eulogy is a form of commemorative speech.
Other commemorative speech examples include:
- Nomination speech
- Goodwill speech
- Wedding toast
- Award acceptance speech
Perhaps, a good way to define commemorative speech is by stating that it is more than just informative. In addition to describing something or somebody, the speaker celebrates it. For instance, the speaker can provide a biography of the deceased person, celebrate who they were, say why they deserve praise and encourage their audience to also celebrate their values.
Commemoration Speech: Basic Features
Several characteristics make a commemorative speech stand out. These are the qualities that you should aim at when writing this speech.
They include the following:
- Engaging: When writing this speech, focus on making it more engaging. You can do this by being creative and avoiding clichés. You can also carefully introduce some controversy or trigger introspection. Some people even choose funny commemorative speech topics to be more engaging. Nevertheless, don’t go beyond reasonable limits trying to be funny and engaging.
- Inspiring: This speech should be entertaining while highlighting the values that a person reveres. For instance, you can express the values that you share with the person you’re talking about. Do so in a way that will most likely inspire others. This is very important because the main purpose of this talk is to inspire.
- Be positive: An enthusiastic discourse becomes unnatural, boring, and naïve if the writer is not careful. However, your discourse should be empowering and optimistic when it comes to commemorative speech topics for college students.
- Be relevant: Your talk must be relevant to keep you connected to your audience. For instance, refer to the individual or collective memories with the person you’re talking about that you know will resonate with your audience. Try to be more specific instead of general. For instance, you can mention groups, real people, events, and teachers to engage with your audience.
How to Write a Commemorative Speech
Giving a ceremonial speech is not just about uttering words from your heart. Unless you’re very creative, you need to sit down, generate commemorative speech ideas, and then compose the write-up. Here are the main steps of the process of writing a commemorative speech:
- Choose a topic
Do you want to talk about a historical event, share a story about something, or celebrate a loved one? The first step in the process of writing this speech is deciding on the topic. Choose a topic you can comfortably write about. For instance, write a commemorative speech about mom if you know your mother well and you would like to celebrate her.
- Research Your Topic
Once you’ve chosen a topic, research it. For instance, if you have chosen to write a commemorative speech on a famous person, research about them. Read newspapers and books with information or stories about the person. If possible, talk to the people that have direct interactions with them. You can even talk to them personally if possible.
- Create an Outline
Once you’ve researched your topic, come up with a commemorative speech outline. This should show how you will present your information. It should indicate what will go to the introduction of your speech, body, and conclusion. Identify the main points that you will expound on in the body of your speech.
- Start Writing
Most people don’t know how to start a commemorative speech. This is particularly the case when writing a eulogy. It’s something emotional. However, you can start by just writing what is in your mind. Use the notes you wrote when researching your topics to start without thinking much. You can use the outline to organize your speech later.
- Take Breaks
Taking physical or mental breaks will help your body to regain the strength you need to complete this task. Therefore, if you get too emotional, go out for a walk and then come back. Don’t struggle to write when you can’t concentrate. Experts from MyHomeworkDone will help you, if you’re not sure you cannot complete it.
- Edit the Speech
Once you have the first draft, you can now arrange everything. Read it through to determine what to be in your commemorative speech introduction, body, and conclusion. For instance, you can tell the audience how you met the person you’re talking about in the introduction. Proceed to tell them how you’ve known and worked with the person. Be personal and share things that the audience might not know about you and the person.
Knowing how to write a commemorative speech outline is essential because it enables you to decide where every detail goes. That way, your speech will flow chronologically so that your audience can follow from the beginning to the end. What’s more, your commemorative speech conclusion should have a good ending. It should leave the audience feeling that your story or talk has come to a conclusive end.
Once you’re done editing, read it through to ensure it follows the commemorative speech outline format you created. You can even give a friend or a loved one to read it through and give feedback.
Commemorative Speech Topics
Although there are many commemorative speech topics for college, students should pick what they are comfortable researching and writing about. What’s more, learners should conduct preliminary research about their topics before they start writing. That’s the only way they will know whether they can get adequate information about the topics.
Creating a commemorative speech outline on a person, place, or something is also important before writing. It helps a learner determine whether they can get adequate information for different parts of the speech. If struggling to find good commemorative speech topics, here are some ideas to consider.
- Self-sacrificing of a mom
- Single parents tribute
- Celebrating Christian values
- Humans overcoming major challenges
- Tribute to a veteran
- Tribute to a women’s rights movement
- Tribute to a human rights activist
- Courageous acts during a terrorist attack
- Tribute to a teacher
- Tribute to a friend and a colleague
When choosing the topic to write about, students should pick something meaningful. It should also be a topic for which they have a strong message they want to deliver to the audience. What’s more, a good topic should not be identical to what other people have written about or talked about before. If you need more ideas right now, explore these speech topics from our writers.
Commemorative speech definition describes it as a talk that is prepared for a special event. When writing this speech for college, learners should have this in mind. For instance, a student should imagine themselves giving this speech during their college graduation ceremony. The speech should flow chronologically to make it easier for the audience to follow. It should also show respect for or recall something. Above all, the speech should be about a relevant topic for which a student has a special message to share with the audience.