During Obama’s speech, he takes advantage of timing and pace. He takes his time and pauses so the audience can absorb what he is saying. He does not pause for too long because he could loose the attention of the audience. This is very clear at time stamp 10:41. He pauses after the word Ubuntu and the audience erupts into applause. This really highlights how powerful pace and pauses are in a speech. You can really feel the unity in the stadium when he describes the meaning.
I agree. I think he made sure to pause and allow the audience to take in what he says. I also agree that the stadium seemed very united. From the beginning of the speech I felt like he was able to unify the stadium and that was cool.
I also said he has a good pace and pauses at the right times. The pauses allow the audience to think about what he’s saying like you said, and also adds a serious tone. If he was speeding through and just reading off a paper it wouldn’t sound as sincere. I like how you said he pauses but not long enough for the crowd to lose attention, I think this is something we need to keep in mind as well when we add pauses in our speeches.
Obama has a good pace throughout his speech. He says half a thought and pauses, then continues to finish the thought and pauses again. After he says something of more importance, he pauses for a longer period of time like at the time stamp 3:15 when he said “Like Dr. King, he would give potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice”. He also pauses when the crowd applauds for him at 8:04, 12:04 and 15:25, etc. I know we won’t have a live audience applauding us but I think we can still add in pauses in points of importance. This allows people to have time to think about what we just said and show its importance to us. His body language is what is should be when giving a serious speech, standing straight up and his tone is serious as well as he is not making jokes or smiling. Lastly, he doesn’t have a calm tone, he has more of a loud, preaching tone which I think helps us know how serious he is about what he is saying.
I agree that some of his pauses were filled with applaud, and although we won’t have that we can still uses pauses to add emphasis. I agree about the preaching tone, I think it allows for his speech to seem more sincere and passionate. And I noticed how even when he would say something positive about Mandela he would not smile, and that is because it was a serious speech.
Great point Wylie-the power of pausing can add drama and interest to a speech. I agree, because Mandela was a leader on the world stage, I think that this eulogy was very different-typically statements in a eulogy for a friend or relative wouldn’t be written to evoke applause. However, we can still utilize pauses in our speeches to emphasize our points to our virtual audience. I also think that if there is applause during a eulogy, it may be difficult for the speaker not to smile to maintain the integrity of the speech, but Obama effectively achieved that.
I’m glad you mentioned his tone of voice! He definitely had to speak loudly to be picked up well in the microphone and sound system, but I agree that is came across as a strong message and sermon-like to me as well. Along with what you’re saying about his body language, he also doesn’t use much hand movement, and mostly holds the sides of the podium, which helps him look more grounded and focused on the speech at hand.
I agree. His body language showed that he had a lot of respect. Giving a memorial speech is a really big deal and a big assignment. He tone and body language was very appropriate.
Within this eulogy, Obama started out with positive energy, then faded to solemnity, building in intensity and speed to emphasize a quote from Mandela (7:40). Obama’s pauses and inflection of tone throughout the speech gave his words eloquence; even those that did not speak English would understand its meaning. I admire how this eulogy was constructed-it transformed the death of Mandela, a mournful event, into a call to the audience for reflection and action. I understand now that a eulogy should not be an elegy-the design is for people to walk away mindful of the deceased accomplishments and motivated to continue their work or positivity.
I agree about the energy changing throughout the speech. I also felt that the whole speech I could feel the power of Mandela’s life. I thought that Obama was able to make the eulogy less of a mournful event and more of an honoring of Mandela’s life.
I noticed too that he started off positive and then it slowly turned to being more serious. His pauses defiantly added the emphasis he intended to. I wrote that we won’t be getting applauded but like you said at a normal funeral they won’t be getting applauses either until maybe the end but that still feels weird. Adding pauses in places where people might clap or need to think about it more will still add the same effect.
Well said, there really was a masterful change in tone between the transition in those subjects. Like you said, a non-English speaker could identify with his tone. Though some may have had to rely on a translation, his tone broke through that language barrier.
I think what was really great was when he compared acts that Mandela did and compared it to other important figures such as the founding fathers (3:45). I thought this added a lot of power to his message and speech. I also thought his delivery was powerful and respectful. He did not try and speak over the crowd at any point, and when the applause interrupted he stayed poised and ready to continue. He also made sure to say every word clearly as to respect Mandela.
Hi Reese, great comments! Beyond being powerful and respectful, I noted that Obama’s manner was dignified, yet welcoming. I liked how Obama used his initial greetings to unite the audience before he started focusing on the purpose of his speech. He did not use overly complicated vocabulary, which might make his content come off with a pompous air.
Really great points, I liked how you pointed out the welcome and respect that resonated through Obama’s speech. Like you said, he never spoke over the audience. He reciprocated the compassion and respect to the audience was giving him, it was powerful to see. This made his speech even more compelling, it was obvious that this speech was a honor to him. He acted as the intermediary between the people and Mandela’s legacy.
Yes! I think it is really impressive that he never stumbled and spoke clearly the whole time. The delivery was great. I also noted that he did not just speak to one side of the stadium. He came off very respectful. The content was also very good. I also liked how he compared Mandela to the founding fathers.
I think his pausing was always well-timed, whether to emphasize a point or to wait for applause. The articulation and tone of Obama’s speech added to the respect he displayed for Mandela. This speech really showed how delivery can have a major impact on the speakers message.
I like how you talked about Obama not speaking over the crowd. I think this is very important in being respectful like you said, and just allowing the audience to react fully. Shows a lot of energy as well.
Former President Obama’s speech and delivery was exemplar. Many points in the video stuck out to me, but the segment from 14:15-14:44 was a particularly powerful moment in his speech for me. As he came to address his points, the volume of his voice went up, and his pacing increased slightly compared to his earlier statements. For me, this really focused my attention to what he was saying, I was completely immersed. After this particular part in his speech, he took a natural pause, and looked to the audience before going on. This was flawless, he maintained an assertive posture and used hand-gestures sparingly to bring even more emphasis to his points. This was a highly calculated and articulated speech, everything about it was compelling and full of adoration.
The timestamp you mentioned is a great example. Obama is a master of the well-timed pauses, and they absolutely serve to emphasize his points. His body language is calm but definitely powerful, and assertive is the perfect word for it.
I also enjoyed this part of his speech. I think the way that he increased not only his tone but also the pace of the speech was well thought out and a good move. This allowed the audience to feel more energy from his speech. I also like how he kept his eyes up and looked directly at the audience throughout.
I was also admiring Obama’s behavior at this timestamp. I fully agree with your points and his ability to public speak is truly admirable. I typically don’t pause during my speeches in hopes to maintain my audience’s attention. Obama made it clear to me that a pause should not be looked at as a sign of weakness in a speech. Pausing allows the audience to absorb what you are saying and adds a lot more meaning to your words.
Obama is a master at using the tone of his voice to get his points across exactly as they are intended. I also become immersed when watching Obama speak because he has a natural ability to make people want to listen to him. For public speaking, he checks off a lot of boxes for what you should do when speaking publicly. His timing and pausing are flawless, his body language is assertive and so is his tone of voice.
Obama has always been one of the best speakers out there, in my opinion. This is absolutely shown in this speech. His timing is well paced and easy to follow, he knows when to crescendo and decrescendo, and he maintains a calm, assertive air around his the whole time. Despite the fact that he is speaking loudly into a microphone, he is clear and articulate. At 13:12, he takes several emphatic pauses that drive home the point he is making, between “as a man” and “as a president”, and so on. Obama is a great example of a well done speech to a large audience.
I agree that Obama gives an amazing example of public speaking. His tone is assertive which seems to maintain the audiences attention. The tone and well-timed pauses in his speech add are so powerful in communicating his message.
I noticed lots of comments regarding Obama’s pausing throughout the speech, I completely agree that these pauses added meaning to his words. I liked that you mentioned he is speaking into a microphone, yet it was still a very clear and well-written speech. His ability to speak so confidently in front of this massive group of people is an extremely admirable quality that not many people have.
I noticed that Obama used tone, body language, and pausing a lot in this speech to emphasize certain points. At 9:05 he makes a point that is clearly significant based on his delivery. In this moment, he raises his voice in a powerful tone, uses hand gestures, and pauses to add emphasis. This made these words stand out and showed that they were especially significant in the eulogy.
In Obama’s speech, he held a lot of power during his performance. As he was speaking, the tone of his voice stayed the same but at certain moments he was able to emphasize on certain words and pause after. This allowed the audience to react to what he was saying. For example, at 4:40 Obama was talking about Madiba in such a beautiful way in remembrance, and directly after referencing him the crowd cheered at his words. The delivery of this speech was perfectly paced and well thought out. His energy reflected the audience, with his body language and poise.
I agree that Obama had great pace throughout his speech. He was ultra-calm and his speech just felt natural the way that he emphasized certain things that held significance and how he paused at just the right times. He kind of just has a knack for timing and tone in his speech but it’s all derived from his calm and collected body language.
I have always admired Obama’s ability to speak publically. He pauses frequently throughout this speech and each pause allows the audience to fully absorb his words. He pauses for long periods of time, for example at minute 4.05 he breaks for an extended time. These longer pauses add meaning to his words, pausing allows the audience to take a moment and feel the words he is so powerfully speaking. He speaks loudly and clearly to the crowd and thanks those cheering him on. He glances briefly at his notes from time to time but primarily is making eye contact with the crowd. I enjoyed watching him deliver the speech and will try to incorporate some of his behavior when I deliver my speeches in the future.
Barack Obama being the great speaker that he is, displayed a calm and composed manner throughout the speech as he normally does. I noticed that he would pause at the right times when getting a loud applause for something that he said. For example, at 15:25 – 15:32, after stating many leaders don’t tolerate dissent from their own people, he took a fairly long but well-timed pause. He also was aware that he was in a round-shaped stadium and focused his attention towards different areas of the crowd and he spoke loudly and clearly. Obama did have to look at his notes from time to time but he makes good eye contact with the crowd the majority of the time.
31 thoughts on “CLOSED-WEEK 4-DBQ 1”
During Obama’s speech, he takes advantage of timing and pace. He takes his time and pauses so the audience can absorb what he is saying. He does not pause for too long because he could loose the attention of the audience. This is very clear at time stamp 10:41. He pauses after the word Ubuntu and the audience erupts into applause. This really highlights how powerful pace and pauses are in a speech. You can really feel the unity in the stadium when he describes the meaning.
I agree. I think he made sure to pause and allow the audience to take in what he says. I also agree that the stadium seemed very united. From the beginning of the speech I felt like he was able to unify the stadium and that was cool.
I also said he has a good pace and pauses at the right times. The pauses allow the audience to think about what he’s saying like you said, and also adds a serious tone. If he was speeding through and just reading off a paper it wouldn’t sound as sincere. I like how you said he pauses but not long enough for the crowd to lose attention, I think this is something we need to keep in mind as well when we add pauses in our speeches.
Obama has a good pace throughout his speech. He says half a thought and pauses, then continues to finish the thought and pauses again. After he says something of more importance, he pauses for a longer period of time like at the time stamp 3:15 when he said “Like Dr. King, he would give potent voice to the claims of the oppressed and the moral necessity of racial justice”. He also pauses when the crowd applauds for him at 8:04, 12:04 and 15:25, etc. I know we won’t have a live audience applauding us but I think we can still add in pauses in points of importance. This allows people to have time to think about what we just said and show its importance to us. His body language is what is should be when giving a serious speech, standing straight up and his tone is serious as well as he is not making jokes or smiling. Lastly, he doesn’t have a calm tone, he has more of a loud, preaching tone which I think helps us know how serious he is about what he is saying.
I agree that some of his pauses were filled with applaud, and although we won’t have that we can still uses pauses to add emphasis. I agree about the preaching tone, I think it allows for his speech to seem more sincere and passionate. And I noticed how even when he would say something positive about Mandela he would not smile, and that is because it was a serious speech.
Great point Wylie-the power of pausing can add drama and interest to a speech. I agree, because Mandela was a leader on the world stage, I think that this eulogy was very different-typically statements in a eulogy for a friend or relative wouldn’t be written to evoke applause. However, we can still utilize pauses in our speeches to emphasize our points to our virtual audience. I also think that if there is applause during a eulogy, it may be difficult for the speaker not to smile to maintain the integrity of the speech, but Obama effectively achieved that.
I’m glad you mentioned his tone of voice! He definitely had to speak loudly to be picked up well in the microphone and sound system, but I agree that is came across as a strong message and sermon-like to me as well. Along with what you’re saying about his body language, he also doesn’t use much hand movement, and mostly holds the sides of the podium, which helps him look more grounded and focused on the speech at hand.
I agree. His body language showed that he had a lot of respect. Giving a memorial speech is a really big deal and a big assignment. He tone and body language was very appropriate.
Within this eulogy, Obama started out with positive energy, then faded to solemnity, building in intensity and speed to emphasize a quote from Mandela (7:40). Obama’s pauses and inflection of tone throughout the speech gave his words eloquence; even those that did not speak English would understand its meaning. I admire how this eulogy was constructed-it transformed the death of Mandela, a mournful event, into a call to the audience for reflection and action. I understand now that a eulogy should not be an elegy-the design is for people to walk away mindful of the deceased accomplishments and motivated to continue their work or positivity.
I agree about the energy changing throughout the speech. I also felt that the whole speech I could feel the power of Mandela’s life. I thought that Obama was able to make the eulogy less of a mournful event and more of an honoring of Mandela’s life.
I noticed too that he started off positive and then it slowly turned to being more serious. His pauses defiantly added the emphasis he intended to. I wrote that we won’t be getting applauded but like you said at a normal funeral they won’t be getting applauses either until maybe the end but that still feels weird. Adding pauses in places where people might clap or need to think about it more will still add the same effect.
Hi Candace,
Well said, there really was a masterful change in tone between the transition in those subjects. Like you said, a non-English speaker could identify with his tone. Though some may have had to rely on a translation, his tone broke through that language barrier.
I think what was really great was when he compared acts that Mandela did and compared it to other important figures such as the founding fathers (3:45). I thought this added a lot of power to his message and speech. I also thought his delivery was powerful and respectful. He did not try and speak over the crowd at any point, and when the applause interrupted he stayed poised and ready to continue. He also made sure to say every word clearly as to respect Mandela.
Hi Reese, great comments! Beyond being powerful and respectful, I noted that Obama’s manner was dignified, yet welcoming. I liked how Obama used his initial greetings to unite the audience before he started focusing on the purpose of his speech. He did not use overly complicated vocabulary, which might make his content come off with a pompous air.
Hi Reese,
Really great points, I liked how you pointed out the welcome and respect that resonated through Obama’s speech. Like you said, he never spoke over the audience. He reciprocated the compassion and respect to the audience was giving him, it was powerful to see. This made his speech even more compelling, it was obvious that this speech was a honor to him. He acted as the intermediary between the people and Mandela’s legacy.
Yes! I think it is really impressive that he never stumbled and spoke clearly the whole time. The delivery was great. I also noted that he did not just speak to one side of the stadium. He came off very respectful. The content was also very good. I also liked how he compared Mandela to the founding fathers.
I think his pausing was always well-timed, whether to emphasize a point or to wait for applause. The articulation and tone of Obama’s speech added to the respect he displayed for Mandela. This speech really showed how delivery can have a major impact on the speakers message.
I like how you talked about Obama not speaking over the crowd. I think this is very important in being respectful like you said, and just allowing the audience to react fully. Shows a lot of energy as well.
Former President Obama’s speech and delivery was exemplar. Many points in the video stuck out to me, but the segment from 14:15-14:44 was a particularly powerful moment in his speech for me. As he came to address his points, the volume of his voice went up, and his pacing increased slightly compared to his earlier statements. For me, this really focused my attention to what he was saying, I was completely immersed. After this particular part in his speech, he took a natural pause, and looked to the audience before going on. This was flawless, he maintained an assertive posture and used hand-gestures sparingly to bring even more emphasis to his points. This was a highly calculated and articulated speech, everything about it was compelling and full of adoration.
The timestamp you mentioned is a great example. Obama is a master of the well-timed pauses, and they absolutely serve to emphasize his points. His body language is calm but definitely powerful, and assertive is the perfect word for it.
I also enjoyed this part of his speech. I think the way that he increased not only his tone but also the pace of the speech was well thought out and a good move. This allowed the audience to feel more energy from his speech. I also like how he kept his eyes up and looked directly at the audience throughout.
I was also admiring Obama’s behavior at this timestamp. I fully agree with your points and his ability to public speak is truly admirable. I typically don’t pause during my speeches in hopes to maintain my audience’s attention. Obama made it clear to me that a pause should not be looked at as a sign of weakness in a speech. Pausing allows the audience to absorb what you are saying and adds a lot more meaning to your words.
Obama is a master at using the tone of his voice to get his points across exactly as they are intended. I also become immersed when watching Obama speak because he has a natural ability to make people want to listen to him. For public speaking, he checks off a lot of boxes for what you should do when speaking publicly. His timing and pausing are flawless, his body language is assertive and so is his tone of voice.
Obama has always been one of the best speakers out there, in my opinion. This is absolutely shown in this speech. His timing is well paced and easy to follow, he knows when to crescendo and decrescendo, and he maintains a calm, assertive air around his the whole time. Despite the fact that he is speaking loudly into a microphone, he is clear and articulate. At 13:12, he takes several emphatic pauses that drive home the point he is making, between “as a man” and “as a president”, and so on. Obama is a great example of a well done speech to a large audience.
I agree that Obama gives an amazing example of public speaking. His tone is assertive which seems to maintain the audiences attention. The tone and well-timed pauses in his speech add are so powerful in communicating his message.
I noticed lots of comments regarding Obama’s pausing throughout the speech, I completely agree that these pauses added meaning to his words. I liked that you mentioned he is speaking into a microphone, yet it was still a very clear and well-written speech. His ability to speak so confidently in front of this massive group of people is an extremely admirable quality that not many people have.
I noticed that Obama used tone, body language, and pausing a lot in this speech to emphasize certain points. At 9:05 he makes a point that is clearly significant based on his delivery. In this moment, he raises his voice in a powerful tone, uses hand gestures, and pauses to add emphasis. This made these words stand out and showed that they were especially significant in the eulogy.
In Obama’s speech, he held a lot of power during his performance. As he was speaking, the tone of his voice stayed the same but at certain moments he was able to emphasize on certain words and pause after. This allowed the audience to react to what he was saying. For example, at 4:40 Obama was talking about Madiba in such a beautiful way in remembrance, and directly after referencing him the crowd cheered at his words. The delivery of this speech was perfectly paced and well thought out. His energy reflected the audience, with his body language and poise.
I agree that Obama had great pace throughout his speech. He was ultra-calm and his speech just felt natural the way that he emphasized certain things that held significance and how he paused at just the right times. He kind of just has a knack for timing and tone in his speech but it’s all derived from his calm and collected body language.
I have always admired Obama’s ability to speak publically. He pauses frequently throughout this speech and each pause allows the audience to fully absorb his words. He pauses for long periods of time, for example at minute 4.05 he breaks for an extended time. These longer pauses add meaning to his words, pausing allows the audience to take a moment and feel the words he is so powerfully speaking. He speaks loudly and clearly to the crowd and thanks those cheering him on. He glances briefly at his notes from time to time but primarily is making eye contact with the crowd. I enjoyed watching him deliver the speech and will try to incorporate some of his behavior when I deliver my speeches in the future.
Barack Obama being the great speaker that he is, displayed a calm and composed manner throughout the speech as he normally does. I noticed that he would pause at the right times when getting a loud applause for something that he said. For example, at 15:25 – 15:32, after stating many leaders don’t tolerate dissent from their own people, he took a fairly long but well-timed pause. He also was aware that he was in a round-shaped stadium and focused his attention towards different areas of the crowd and he spoke loudly and clearly. Obama did have to look at his notes from time to time but he makes good eye contact with the crowd the majority of the time.