Read
Herbert Spencer on the "Philosophy of Style," and apply his reasoning
to the delivery of an address, and you have the rationale of the art
of speaking, as well as of speech, put with that wonderful thinker's
unerringness.
The method commonly employed in preparing speeches is incorrect. That
method is, to read all the books one can get on the subject, take all
the opinions that can be procured, make exhaustive notes, and then
write the speech.
Such a speech is nothing but a compilation. It is merely an
arrangement of second-hand thoughts and observations and of other
people's ideas. It never has the power of living and original
thinking.
The true way is to take the elements of the problem in hand, and,
without consulting a book or an opinion, reason out from these very
elements of the problem itself your solution of it, and then prepare
your speech.
After this, read, read, read--read comprehensively, omnivorously, in
order to see whether your solution was not exploded a hundred years
ago--aye, a thousand--and, if it was not, to fortify and make accurate
your own thought. Read Matthew Arnold on "Literature and Dogma," and
you will discover why it is necessary for you to read exhaustively on
any subject about which you would think or write or speak.
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