Public Speaking : Comic Verse

Pictures are worth a thousand words. Comic verses, however, are worth a thousand public speaking words. By using a short poem or limerick in your presentation, you can emphasize your points without surpassing the audience’s word quota it will listen to. The last thing you want is the audience members clutching their ears, yelling, “No more! No more!” Keeping in mind that brevity is clarity, let’s look at a few verses you can use in your public speaking event:

Do not worry if your job is smallAnd your rewards are few.Just remember that the mighty oakWas once a nut, like you. Anonymous

The point of this is to emphasize that everyone starts out at the bottom but that doesn’t restrain someone from being great. Here’s another:

When the tides of life turn against you,And the current upsets your boat,Don't waste those tears on what might have been,Just lay on your back and float. Ed Norton, The Honeymooners

Here Norton summarizes that during difficult times, the best thing to do is not get upset about and just ride it out

As always, finding verses that relate to your public speaking audience is a plus. Oh, and if someone said the verse, give them credit!