Page 304 - Between One and Many The Art and Science of Public Speaking

Chapter 10 Language: Making Verbal Sense of the Message 271

tithesis and range from Jesus’ declaration that the “least will be fi rst” to Presi-
dent Theodore Roosevelt’s promise to “speak softly and carry a big stick.”
Another example of antithesis is the contemporary use of the term “Chicken
Hawk.” It has commonly been applied to describe militaristic politicians who
advocate the use of the armed forces, even though these politicians have never
served in the armed forces in peacetime much less during war.

Language Intensity

The degree to which words and phrases deviate from neutral affects language language intensity
intensity. The intensity of words varies along a continuum ranging from rela-
The degree to which
tively neutral to highly intense. For example, savory and delicious are more intense words and phrases devi-
than tastes good. By the same token, the phrase I find you attractive is not nearly ate from neutral.
as intense as you rock my world. Intense language is much more likely to enlist
the attention of the audience than neutral language. We can increase language
intensity by using action words and humorous language. We can also increase
intensity with metaphor and simile, which we have already discussed.

Action Words Try to use words that are exciting and action oriented. For ex-
ample, which do you fi nd more involving, “The speech was well received” or
“The speech was a knockout”? What about “He got mad” versus “He went bal-
listic”? How about “dunk” versus “monster slam” or “excited” versus “out-of-
control.” Action words and action-loaded metaphors help listeners picture what
you say.

Humor In Chapter 9 we talked about using humor to open a speech. The
guidelines for using humor we discussed there apply to this discussion as well.
Humor should be appropriate and relevant to our topic or the occasion and
mindful of the diversity in our audience. Having said that, we also want to em-
phasize what feminist Gertrude Stein is alleged to have said on her deathbed.
When asked if it was hard to die, Stein said, “No . . . dying is easy. Comedy
is hard.”
Although humorous language can increase the intensity of a speech, not all
speakers are well suited to using it. Some people really can’t tell a joke. If you
count yourself in this latter group, don’t try being something you are not. On the
other hand, if humor is customary to your communication style, use it to your
advantage. Poke fun at yourself but not at your audience. Tell a joke you have
successfully told before, if appropriate. And share humorous anecdotes you have
shared before, assuming that they suit your speech purpose.

Contrast and Action A fi nal way to intensify language is to incorporate con-
trasting phrases and words that suggest action. In discussing the irrationality
that often grips the minds of people when going to war, German philosopher
Friedrich Nietzsche wrote, “How good . . . bad music and bad reasons sound
8
when we march against the enemy.” Nietzsche’s simple contrast between good
and bad is much more effective in making war seem illogical than any extended
discussion would have been. And this would have been especially true had
Nietzsche delivered the line in a speech.