338 INTRODUCTORY SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Rhymes with Orange
1 Paul Madsen’s first memory in life was sitting on his grandmother’s lap and being fed his
favorite food—an orange. Surprisingly, there are actually many similarities between Paul and his
favorite food.
some of the children English and distributed basic health products that the children had been lack-
ing. Paul views it as an obligation to give back to those less fortunate than him because he has
been so blessed in life—especially by his loving family, which includes his mother, father, and
three younger brothers.
4 Like an orange about to be picked from the tree, Paul has absolutely no idea where he
RHYMES WITH ORANGE 339
Rhymes with Orange
Commentary
“Rhymes with Orange” is a brief speech introducing a classmate. Developed through the theme of an
orange, it provides an excellent example of creativity in the first classroom presentation. A video is avail-
able online and on the DVD of student speeches that accompanies this edition of The Art of Public
Speaking. Here is a brief synopsis.
Specific Purpose: To introduce my classmate Paul to the audience.
point (paragraph 4), the speaker continues the theme by comparing Paul to an orange about to
be picked from the tree. He presents each point extemporaneously, with excellent vocal variety
and eye contact.
Conclusion: The speaker concludes in paragraph 5 by returning to the central theme of his speech.
The final words bring everything together and add a light touch of humor.
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