Speech Genres and Their Evolution

Which is considered a contemporary speech genre?

Scholar Kenneth Burke concluded that people derive a sense of pleasure from hearing things that are:

Which is TRUE about speech genres?

New forms of art are often criticized because they lack?

Which is TRUE about the informative speech genre?

If you are giving a forensic speech, you would likely focus on:

Which is TRUE about the informative speech genre?

Which traditional genre of speech is focused on the future?

A lawyer gives a speech to convince a judge of his client's innocence. Which contemporary speech genre does this fall under?

Which is TRUE about epideictic speeches?

Aristotle formed his idea of speech genres based on:

Which is TRUE about deliberative speeches?

What must you exercise in order to successfully and artfully break the rules of a genre?

If you are giving a toast at a wedding, which contemporary genre of speech will the audience expect?

If you are giving a speech at a funeral, which contemporary genre of speech will the audience expect?

Speech Genres

Informative speech teaches or explains something to the audience, classified as a contemporary speech genre.
Kenneth Burke noted that people experience pleasure from repeated content, drawing parallels with enjoyment derived from music.
Speech genres have remained relatively unchanged over centuries, unlike contemporary forms like music and film, which evolve rapidly.

Art and Criticism

New forms of art, including innovative music and avant-garde films, often face criticism for lacking familiar patterns, leading to perceptions of incomprehensibility.

Traditional vs. Contemporary Speech

The judicial speech genre has been absorbed by the persuasive genre and replaced by informative speaking.
Forensic speeches focus on matters of the past, assessing guilt or innocence based on previous events.

Focus of Speech Genres

Informative speeches hinge on knowledge that has been acquired previously, whereas deliberative oratory addresses what should be decided or acted upon in the future.
Epideictic speeches center on praise, blame, and celebration, addressing present circumstances.

Aristotle and Speech Genres

Aristotle categorized speech genres based on the judgments that audiences were expected to make and how they would respond.
Deliberative speeches, focusing on persuasive argumentation regarding future actions, were deemed the most important by Aristotle.

Breaking Genre Rules

Effective public speaking allows for the artful breaking of genre rules, provided it is approached with respect and consideration of genre expectations.

Celebratory Speeches

Toasts at weddings are expected to fall under the celebratory genre, which honors special events and commemorations, while similar speeches at funerals also belong in this category.

Explore the characteristics and transformations of various speech genres, focusing on informative and judicial speaking. Learn how these genres compare with contemporary art forms and the role of criticism in artistic expression. This quiz will challenge your understanding of how speech has evolved over time.