How to Write a Graduation Speech to Make Everyone Listen
Challenging as it sounds, creating a fancy graduation speech is a pretty time-consuming and rigorous process. When you set out to develop a one-of-a-kind speech to remember, be sure to tackle this work of art with exceptional dedication and enthusiasm. What is a graduation speech, then? In plain terms, a graduation speech is a speech delivered to graduating students and is intended to inspire them as well as encourage their future endeavors.
Normally, the one giving a speech is a famous alumnus of the school, eager to share their knowledge and wisdom with the young and ambitious audience. Therefore, in order to write a great graduation speech, you need to be consistent, open and sincere. These are the vital features of earning the attention and admiration on the part of the listeners.
So, How to Write a Speech for Graduation Ceremony?
Not so long ago, you pledged to write a cool commencement address. And now you confront Google, asking it “How to write a great graduation speech?” Or this one: “How to write a commencement speech for high school graduation?”
To be fully equipped to write an impactful graduation speech, you have to be familiar with some time-proven cornerstones that will aid you in developing your commencement address. So, here we are.
Graduation Speech Writing Tips
- Know your audience
Having a strong grasp of your target audience is one of the crucial aspects of how to write a good graduation speech. Try to relate to your audience and connect with it, imagine being in their shoes!
- Tell stories
As any psychology resource would suggest, most people are into listening to stories. Give your audience a good portion of a blithe, yet meaningful, account of an iconic figure’s path to success, as this can add to the intensity of your speech. Always thirsty to hear another success story, the audience will definitely love your creative input.
- Make it short
Lengthy speeches tend to bore the audience, as they feature rather superfluous content. For instance, if you ever googled something like “How to write a graduation speech for high school,” you must have noticed that none of the online resources you find recommend including some specific profession-oriented tips in your speech. Instead, you are advised to make your writing as brief as possible, as the teen-spirited audience likes it short and fast. Same with other types of commencement speeches – much like self-driven teens, other people are also likely to perceive information far easier and faster if it’s short and succinct.
- Give way to your emotions
Making your speech emotional will help it become more compelling and seem more natural. Don’t be scared to experiment with your writing, using idiosyncratic language like “my cuties,” “I’m a lucky dude,” “helluva,” etc.
Graduation Speech Writing Steps
- First of all, you should begin your speech with a salutation, such as “Dear students” or “Dear graduates.”
- Try to set the tone of voice of your speech. Think about what mood should prevail there and what general message it will deliver.
- Now, you can move on to choosing the theme of your speech. Sticking to one common theme will help you unify your ideas so that your speech sounds coherent and comprehensive. This also prevents you from including unnecessary information and facts in your writing.
- Plan your speech. There’s a military saying about making plans: “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Thinking through the structure of your speech helps to organize it as well as make it orderly. Even if you think you know for sure how to write a graduation speech for elementary school (well, it’s nine-year-olds, so this must be so easy!) do take some time to plan your address. Self-confidence is okay, but not when it comes to speaking in front of hundreds of fidgety kids and their stuck-up parents.
Graduation Speech Example Analysis
Here you can find an analysis of a graduation speech. The analysis provides an evaluation of the speech, including comments on its content and structure. Check out the picture below.
Click the images to see their full size.
In a Nutshell
Now that this guide has brought you closer to the art of writing a graduation speech, creating one will take you half as much time than it would without these crucial tips and suggestions. Each task, be it computer coding or writing a graduation speech, requires only two basic things: willingness and commitment. Once you have no problems with those, then developing an outstanding commencement address will be a sheer pleasure for you.
