326 INTRODUCTORY SPEECHES FOR ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
My Eye on the World
1 Gordon Parks once said, “I choose my camera as a weapon against all the things I dislike
about America—poverty, racism, discrimination.” Parks, an extraordinary photographer, gives
insight into my character, passions, and concerns in this one profound quotation.
4 By photographing the world around me, I can also express my sense of beauty. This may
include an abstract silhouette of the contours of a woman’s body, the way the sun accents a stair-
well at a certain time of day, the motion of water flowing down a channel of rocks, or the smile
on a child’s face.
5 My camera sheds light on my emotions and concerns as well. It can describe a feeling or
MY EYE ON THE WORLD 327
My Eye on the World
Commentary
“My Eye on the World” is a 2–minute speech of self–introduction. It uses the speaker’s interest in photog-
raphy to reveal significant aspects of her life. Here is a synopsis of the speech.
Specific Purpose: To introduce myself to the audience by explaining how my hobby of photography
provides insight into my character, passions, and concerns.
Central Idea: Through photography, a hobby I have pursued since high school, I am able to express
my character, passions, and concerns.
Method of Organization: Topical
Introduction: The introduction consists of paragraph 1, which opens with an attention–getting quotation
from famous photographer Gordon Parks. The speaker then moves from this quotation to indi-
cate how her hobby of photography reveals a great deal about her character, passions, and
concerns. Although only two sentences in length, the introduction accomplishes everything it
needs to in that brief compass.
Body: The body of the speech runs from paragraph 2 through paragraph 5. In paragraph 2, the speak-
er notes how she first became interested in photography and explains the role it has continued