I recently created the attached two videos
for a friend, where I read aloud President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
and Mark Antony’s Funeral Oration from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. These
speeches have always held a special place in my memory. Back in 2012, I attempted
to memorize these popular pieces from my school days, and despite my 7-year-old
granddaughter Sudhiksha’s patient help in holding the speech papers and
correcting my mistakes, I failed rather miserably. Ironically, Sudhiksha, at
that young age, mastered them by heart with ease 🙂
My friend, who attended a speed‑reading course, shared that he
could read at nearly 800 words per minute, though with little comprehension,
and at 400 words per minute with full understanding. Speed may be useful for
reading, but when it comes to delivering a speech, clarity and cadence matter
more. The ideal speaking pace is generally 130 to 150 words per minute. For
instance, the Gettysburg Address, of 300 words with an introduction, took me 2
minutes and 2 seconds to read. That pace is acceptable, though a touch slower
might feel more thoughtful to some, while others could find it dragging.
Hope you will like my narration of these
speeches:
Mark Antony’s Oration at Caesar’s Funeral:
President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address:
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