The www.need-a-speech selection
Great Poetry for Great
Speeches
And a great parable too
There is nothing more uplifting than a word or two of
great poetry to accompany a well presented speech. The
secret of success to using poetry in a speech is to quote
from one of the great poets and not be tempted to use
some of the rhyming doggerel verse that is so readily
available on the web. Here is a great selection from
some of the very great poets.
Including speech comments and suggestions
Copyright © 2010 Robert Hayes-McCoy
A Special Message For You
Dear need-a-speech customer
There is nothing more uplifting than a word or two of great poetry
to accompany a well presented speech.
The secret of success here is to quote from one of the great poets
and not be tempted to use some of the rhyming doggerel verse that
is so readily available on the web.
Greatly loved poets like Shakespeare, Lord Byron, Robert Burns,
Rudyard Kipling and others from the poetic hall of fame always
evoke memories and a fondness for the speaker whenever they are
quoted.
And an aptly quoted line or two from one of the great poets will
always add sparkle to your speech.
Here is a selection of great poems that I have carefully chosen for
you to accompany my speeches. Some can be quoted in full to
great effect; others are so powerful and so evocative that a short
quotation – two or three lines – will achieve the powerful effect
that you are looking for.
Always remember, when you are quoting from one of the great
poets, to give the name of the poet. For example...
Ladies and gentlemen... whenever I think of my darling daughter I
think of those immortal lines written by the poet, Lord Byron...
“She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;”
And today, on her wedding day I have never seen her more
beautiful.
Do you get the idea? Here‘s another example, that a groom might
say to his new bride and earn widespread applause.
Ladies and Gentlemen I cannot let this joyful occasion pass without
sharing with you these wonderful lines from the famous poet
Robert Burns:
“As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry “
Short quotations from great poets are what make truly great
memories. Avoid doggerel verse – even good rhyming doggerel - at
all costs. My advice to you is simple: ‗Stay with the great poets and
your speech will be always be uplifted – doggerel verse can all too
often pull you down.‘
Now let me finish by practicing what I
preach, by quoting a few lines to you
from ‗Ode To Joy’ - the words to the
music composed by Handel.
―Ever singing march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife.
Joyful music lifts us Son-ward,
In the triumph song of life!‖
Go for it! Write something down now.
Keep your speech simple. Keep it joyful
and uplifting. Do your best. And I guarantee you that you will be a
great success.
Kindest regards
Robert McCoy
PS Here‘s a PS to bring a smile to your face. It‘s a short quotation
from Alfred Noyes‘ universally loved poem titled:
Daddy Fell into the Pond
―Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And then there seemed to be nothing beyond,
Then
Daddy fell into the pond!
And everyone's face grew merry and bright.
Index
1. After Dinner
2. Beauty/Bride
3. Blessings
4. England/Jerusalem
5. Father
6. Friendship
7. Golf
8. Groom’s Father
9. Honesty
10. Husband
11. Joy & dreams
12. Love
13. Mother
14. Motivation
15. Retirement
16. Time
17. Rock and Bubble Moral Tale
1. After Dinner
Wine and Water
A poem by G. K. Chesterton
Old Noah he had an ostrich farm and fowls on the largest scale,
He ate his egg with a ladle in an egg-cup big as a pail,
And the soup he took was Elephant Soup and fish he took was Whale,
But they all were small to the cellar he took when he set out to sail,
And Noah he often said to his wife when he sat down to dine,
"I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."
The cataract of the cliff of heaven fell blinding off the brink
As if it would wash the stars away as suds go down a sink,
The seven heavens came roaring down for the throats of hell to drink,
And Noah he cocked his eye and said, "It looks like rain, I think,
The water has drowned the Matterhorn as deep as a Mendip mine,
But I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."
But Noah he sinned, and we have sinned; on tipsy feet we trod,
Till a great big teetotaller was sent to us for a rod,
And you can't get wine at a P.S.A., or chapel, or Eisteddfod,
For the Curse of Water has come again because of the wrath of God,
And water is on the Bishop's board and the Higher Thinker's shrine,
But I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine.
Robert’s Comments: This is a great after-dinner verse. The first
time I heard it used in a speech was when the speaker stood up and said: “Ladies
and Gentlemen it’s a miserable night. It’s raining cats and dogs outside. It’s good
to be inside in such good company. And if I may quote from the poem by G. K.
Chesterton, titled: Wine and Water. Which is all about Noah in the Ark with the
waters rising all around him, and... I quote...:
And Noah he often said to his wife when he sat down to dine,
"I don't care where the water goes if it doesn't get into the wine."
The speaker got a great cheer before he even started his speech.
2. Beauty/Bride
She Walks in Beauty
by Lord Byron
She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.
One shade the more, one ray the less,
Had half impair'd the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress,
Or softly lightens o'er her face;
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.
And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!
Robert’s Comments: There are so many lines of this verse that you
can use to add magic to your speech. A Father of the bride could easily say
something like... ‘When Laura puts her mind to something she always gets it. And
in this case I think that she has captured the heart of a very special young man.
Looking at her now, I can‘t help thinking of those lines by Lord Byron in that beautiful
poem: She Walks in Beauty
“And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,”
As her proud father I can tell you that in Laura‘s life every single day is a day ‗in
goodness spent.‘
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3. Blessings
An Irish Wedding Blessing
You are the star of each night,
You are the brightness of every morning,
You are the story of each guest,
You are the report of every land.
No evil shall befall you, on hill nor bank,
In field or valley, on mountain or in glen.
Neither above, nor below, neither in sea,
Nor on shore, in skies above,
Nor in the depths.
You are the kernel of my heart,
You are the face of my sun,
You are the harp of my music,
You are the crown of my company
Blessing of light
May the blessing of light be on you,
Light without and light within.
May the blessed sunlight shine upon you and warm your heart
Till it glows like a great fire,
And strangers may warm themselves as well as friends.
And may the light shine out of the eyes of you
Like a candle set in the window of a house,
Bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.
May you ever have a kindly greeting for people
As you‘re going along the roads.
And now may the Lord bless you,
And bless you kindly.
Amen.
Robert’s Comments: These lines can be woven into many different
types of speeches. For example: ―I, for one, will miss you greatly when you retire, Paul. I
will miss your wise advice. I will miss your friendly company. I will miss the fact that
your door was always open and the light was always on... in those wonderful words from
‘The Blessing of Light:
“Like a candle set in the window of a house,
Bidding the wanderer to come in out of the storm.”
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4. England/Jerusalem
Jerusalem –
a poem by William Blake
And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the Countenance Divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among these dark satanic mills?
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.
Robert’s Comments: This is good stuff! Can you imagine a new
incoming president ending his speech with the words: ―Ladies and Gentlemen may I
finish up by saying we have much work to do in the months ahead. And I, for one, am
looking forward to the task. I promise you that I will give it my very best. Let me
conclude by quoting (with a slight modification) from Jerusalem – by the English poet,
William Blake:
“I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.”
(Outside England you could alter the last line slightly to say:
“In our own green and pleasant land”.)
You’ll get a great cheer – believe me!
5. Father
Father
Edgar A. Guest (1909)
My father knows the proper way
The nation should be run;
He tells us children every day
Just what should now be done.
He knows the way to fix the trusts,
He has a simple plan;
But if the furnace needs repairs,
We have to hire a man.
My father, in a day or two
Could land big thieves in jail;
There‘s nothing that he cannot do,
He knows no word like ―fail.‖
―Our confidence‖ he would restore,
Of that there is no doubt;
But if there is a chair to mend,
We have to send it out.
All public questions that arise,
He settles on the spot;
He waits not till the tumult dies,
But grabs it while it‘s hot.
In matters of finance he can
Tell Congress what to do;
But, O, he finds it hard to meet
His bills as they fall due.
It almost makes him sick to read
The things law-makers say;
Why, father‘s just the man they need,
He never goes astray.
All wars he‘d very quickly end,
As fast as I can write it;
But when a neighbor starts a fusres,
‘Tis mother has to fight it.
In conversation father can
Do many wondrous things;
He‘s built upon a wiser plan
Than presidents or kings.
He knows the ins and outs of each
And every deep transaction;
We look to him for theories,
But look to ma for action.
Daddy Fell into the Pond
a poem by Alfred Noyes
Everyone grumbled. The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And then there seemed to be nothing beyond,
Then
Daddy fell into the pond!
And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed!" Click!
Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft,
And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.
Oh, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
When
Daddy Fell into the pond!
Robert’s Comments: The first time I heard this was when a daughter
got up at her father‘s Golden wedding anniversary and recited this to the extended family.
―I want,‖ she said, ―to thank Daddy for all the happiness and exciting events he
introduced into our lives. And I simply have to read this wonderful, and widely popular,
poem to you by Alfred Noyes. It‘s called ‗Daddy fell into the Pond.‘
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6. Friendship
An Irish Friendship Wish
By Unknown
May there always be work for your hands to do;
May your purse always hold a coin or two;
May the sun always shine on your window pane;
May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;
May the hand of a friend always be near you;
May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
Auld Lang Syne
a poem by Robert Burns
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint-stowp,
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pu'd the gowans fine;
But we've wandered mony a weary fit
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
We twa hae paidled i' the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roared
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught
For auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Robert’s Comments: A verse of Auld Lang Syne, by Robert Burns,
always works wonders, in my experience. For example I remember well a farewell
retirement speech ending with the MD of a firm saying to the retiree. ‗I‘m not going to
end by saying goodbye to you, Dermot, because I hope that we will see you many times in
the pub next door for the traditional Friday, end of working week, drink. Instead, in the
world famous words of Robbie Burns I‘m going to shake hands with you and quote you a
verse from ‗Auld Lang Syne‘ which goes as follows:
And there's a hand, my trusty fiere,
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right guid-willie waught
For auld lang syne.
The ‘right guid-willie waught’ always raises a big cheer. Incidentally, what it means
is: “a goodwill draught‖.
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7. Golf
Ode To Golf
In my hand I hold a ball
White and dimpled, rather small
Oh, how bland it does appear,
This harmless looking little sphere.
By his size I could not guess
The awesome strength it does possess;
My life has not been quite the same
Since I chose to play this game.
It rules my mind for hours on end.
A fortune it has made me spend.
It has made me curse and cry
I hate myself and want to die
I am promised a thing called ‗par‘
If I can hit it straight and far.
To master such a tiny ball
Should not be very hard at all.
But my desires the ball refuses
And does exactly as it chooses
It hooks and slices, dribbles, dies
and disappears before my eyes.
Often it will have a whim
To hit a tree or take a swim.
With miles of grass on which to land
It finds a tiny patch of sand.
Then has me offering up my soul
If it will just drop in the hole.
It‘s made me whimper like a pup,
and swear that I will give it up
And take to drink to ease my sorrow.
But ―The Ball‖ knows...
I‘ll be back...tomorrow
Doubts and Glory
By: Douglas B. Paterson
As I look down at this little white ball.
I wonder if into the hole, it soon might fall.
My doubts have grown during the past few holes
Confidence gone, clubs acting like foes.
Just one solid shot, that's all it will take,
However the next drives got to carry a lake.
These doubts continue, I soon will see,
On the very next hole I hit it O.B.
The putters not working, it feels like a stick
My timing is off, tempo… way too quick.
My cart partner is a nice young folk
But the past five holes we've hardly spoke.
Why do I insist on enduring this game?
I've got to be crazy to think it's the fame.
The next hole might improve my stroke and my score.
If not, then these clubs I'll play no more
I place my ball on a small broken tee
After all it's only a buck eighty - par three.
Slowly I begin, my club rises and falls.
Begging the golf gods with short hopeful calls.
The club makes solid contact, "finally a good swing!"
A beautiful draw, right on line, I could sing.
It lands on the green, just a little too far,
But wait it's got juice, it drives like a car.
Toward the hole, my ball slowly is headed.
Could this be the moment my wallet has dreaded.
"Get in the hole!" I scream at the green
The ball disappears, nowhere to be seen.
We jump in our carts, and race to
find out. Still in my head there
remains a slight doubt.
Approaching the green, I soon
discover it wasn't the hole my ball
used as cover.
Still ten feet away, there my ball
lay. "Sorry not this time." I hear
someone say.
I am bitter and feel very ripped off
Yet it helps none just to sit here and scoff.
I wait for my turn and a birdie attempt
The hole in one club, I remain desperately exempt.
So now I look down at my little white ball
And I wonder if into the hole it soon might fall
Back to Top
8. Groom’s father
If
Rudyard Kipling (1910)
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don‘t deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don‘t give way to hating,
And yet don‘t look too good, nor talk too wise;
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you‘ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools;
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And to hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ―Hold on!‖;
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds‘ worth of distance run—
Yours is the Earth and everything that‘s in it,
And - which is more - you‘ll be a Man, my son!
Robert’s Comments: This is a super poem for using in so many
different speeches. For example, I‘ve heard it used in a farewell speech to a boss as
follows: ―Ladies and gentlemen, Peter was a boss who in my view fitted those wonderful
words of the poet Rudyard Kipling when he said:
„If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same...
...yours is the earth and everything in it.‟
I‘ve also heard a father of the groom include it in his speech to his son and his new
daughter-in-law. Addressing both, he said:
„If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;‟
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too;
... Yours is the Earth and everything that‟s in it,
9. Honesty
The Emperor's Seed
An emperor in the Far East was growing
old and knew it was
time to choose his successor. Instead of
choosing one of his
assistants or his children, he decided
something different.
He called young people in the kingdom
together one day.
He said, "It is time for me to step down
and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you."
The kids were shocked! But the emperor continued. "I am going
to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I
want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one
year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I
will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I
choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others,
received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother
the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he
planted the seed and watered it carefully.
Every day he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.
After about 3 weeks, some of the other youths began to talk
about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.
Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. 3 weeks, 4
weeks, 5 weeks went by. Still nothing.
By now, others were talking about their plants but Ling didn't
have a plant, and he felt like a failure. 6 months went by;
still nothing in Ling's pot. He just knew he had killed his
seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing.
Ling didn't say anything to his friends. He just kept waiting
for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the
youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection.
Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot
but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened.
Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right.
He took his empty pot to the palace. When Ling arrived, he was
amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths.
They were beautiful, in all shapes and sizes. Ling put his
empty pot on the floor and many of the other kinds laughed at
him. A few felt sorry for him and just said, "Hey, nice try!"
When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the
young people. Ling just tried to hide in the back. "My, what
great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the
emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!"
All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the
room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring him to
the front. Ling was terrified. "The emperor knows I'm a
failure! Maybe he will have me killed!"
When Ling got to the front, the Emperor asked his name. "My
name is Ling," he replied. All the kids were laughing and
making fun of him. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down.
He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold
your new emperor! His name is Ling!" Ling couldn't believe it.
Ling couldn't even grow his seed. How could he be the new emperor?
Then the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone
here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it,
and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled
seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have
brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that
the seed would not grow; you substituted another seed for the one I gave
you.
Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me
a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new
emperor!"
If you plant honesty, you will reap trust.
If you plant goodness, you will reap friends.
If you plant humility, you will reap greatness.
If you plant perseverance, you will reap victory.
If you plant consideration, you will reap harmony.
If you plant hard work, you will reap success.
If you plant forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation.
If you plant openness, you will reap intimacy.
If you plant patience, you will reap improvements.
If you plant faith, you will reap miracles.
But:
If you plant dishonesty, you will reap distrust.
If you plant selfishness, you will reap loneliness.
If you plant pride, you will reap destruction.
If you plant envy, you will reap trouble.
If you plant laziness, you will reap stagnation.
If you plant bitterness, you will reap isolation.
If you plant greed, you will reap loss.
If you plant gossip, you will reap enemies.
If you plant worries, you will reap wrinkles.
If you plant sin, you will reap guilt.
So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you
will reap tomorrow.
The seeds you now scatter will make life worse or better your
life or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will
enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today.
Robert’s Comments: This isn‘t a poem but it‘s a great parable. I‘m
telling you the entire parable here, but it‘s the last 20 lines or so that make great material
for including in a speech. Whenever I hear that someone is retiring and plans to spend
more time in the garden, this little parable instantly comes to my mind. If you tell the
story quickly you can end up saying, in effect: ―Jimmy, my reason for telling this story is
to salute you as you move up in the world to the next stage in your live. From now on you
are an ‗emperor‘.
10. Husband
To My Dear and Loving Husband
by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more that whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee gives recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let‘s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever
Robert’s Comments: For including in a speech, these lines are magic:
“I prize thy love more that whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,”
For Example: „Building on the words of the poetess Anne Bradstreet
“I prize (you) more than whole mines of gold, Or all the riches that the East doth hold”
etc etc
11. Joy & Dreams
Ode To Joy
words to the music composed by Handel.
Joyful, joyful,
We adore Thee,
God of glory,
Lord of love.
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee;
Hail Thee to the sun above!
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness,
Drive the dark of doubt away.
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day.
Mortals join the mighty chorus,
Which the morning stars began.
Father love is reigning o'er us;
Brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing march we onward,
Victors in the midst of strife.
Joyful music lifts us Son-ward,
In the triumph song of life!
Robert’s Comments: Example: Let‘s put the past behind us and look to
the future with joy and expectation in the spirit of Handel when he created his most
memorable ‘Ode to joy’ which has been put to words which include the following:
“Drive the dark of doubt away,
Giver of immortal gladness
Fill us with the light of day.”
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams
by William Butler Yeats
Had I the heavens‘ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
Robert’s Comments: This is one of Yeat‘s masterpieces. It contains
those memorable two lines:
“I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.”
These lines can be used in speeches so many different ways – to inspire ... to provoke ...
to uplift ... to befriend ... to urge and to appeal.
12. Love
LOVE
by William Shakespeare
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of
May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
Robert’s Comments: Never – and I really do mean ‗never‘ do these
words of Shakespeare fail to add magic to a wedding speech or to an anniversary speech:
“Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
... But thy eternal summer shall not fade”
Sonnets from the Portuguese, XIV
by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
If thou must love me, let it be for nought
Except for love's sake only. Do not say
'I love her for her smile - her look- her way
Of speaking gently,- for a trick of thought
That falls in well with mine, and certes brought
A sense of pleasant ease on such a day'For these things in themselves, Beloved, may
Be changed, or change for thee,- and love, so wrought,
May be unwrought so. Neither love me for
Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry,A creature might forget to weep, who bore
Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby!
But love me for love's sake, that evermore
Thou mayst love on, through love's eternity.
Follow Me
by Michelle Newton
Take my hand and follow me
to that place I long to be.
Take my hand and trust my way,
in that place forever stay.
Follow me toward the sand;
we'll run and play, hand in hand.
Take my heart and hold it true;
forever I'll stay close to you.
Seize my words and listen well,
then forever I will tell.
Release your heart and feelings too,
just as I will do for you.
Trust your heart and follow me,
to that place we long to be.
A Red Red Rose
by Robert Burns
O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.
As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry:
Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.
And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it ware ten thousand mile.
Robert’s Comments: Every single line of this lovely poem by Robert
Burns can be used to enhance a great speech. Imagine, if you will, a groom turning to his
bride with a glass of champagne in his upraised hand and saying: ―Ladies and Gentlemen,
in the lovely words of Robert Burns, the bard of Scotland, I would like to toast my darling
bride by saying:
―As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry‖
Believe me, it will go down a WOW!
I Dream of Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
a poem by Stephen Foster
I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Borne, like a vapor, on the summer air;
I see her tripping where the bright streams play,
Happy as the daisies that dance on her way.
Many were the wild notes her merry voice would pour,
Many were the blithe birds that warbled them o'er:
Oh! I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Floating, like a vapor, on the soft summer air.
I long for Jeanie with the daydawn smile,
Radiant in gladness, warm with winning guile;
I hear her melodies, like joys gone by,
Sighing round my heart o'er the fond hopes that die:
Sighing like the night wind and sobbing like the rain,
Wailing for the lost one that comes not again:
Oh! I long for Jeanie, and my heart bows low,
Never more to find her where the bright waters flow.
I sigh for Jeanie, but her light form strayed
Far from the fond hearts round her native glade;
Her smiles have vanished and her sweet songs flown,
Flitting like the dreams that have cheered us and gone.
Now the nodding wild flowers may wither on the shore
While her gentle fingers will cull them no more:
Oh! I sigh for Jeanie with the light brown hair,
Floating, like a vapor, on the soft summer air.
Song of the Open Road
by Walt Whitman
Allons! the road is before us!
It is safe - I have tried it - my own feet have
tried it well - be not detain'd!
Let the paper remain on the desk unwritten,
and the book on the shelf unopen'd!
Let the tools remain in the workshop!
Let the money remain unearn'd!
Let the school stand! mind not the cry of the teacher!
Let the preacher preach in his pulpit! let the lawyer plead in the
court, and the judge expound the law.
Camerado, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself? Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
Back to Top
13. Mother
Wonderful Mother
by Pat O'Reilly
God made a wonderful mother,
A mother who never grows old;
He made her smile of the sunshine,
And He moulded her heart of pure gold;
In her eyes He placed bright shining stars,
In her cheeks fair roses you see;
God made a wonderful mother,
And He gave that dear mother to me.
My mother.
by Jane Taylor
When thou art feeble, old and gray,
My healthy arm shall be thy stay,
And I will soothe thy pains away,
My mother
And when I see thee hang thy head,
'Twill be my turn to watch thy bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed,
My mother.
Affectionate and kind to thee
Who wast so very kind to me,
My mother
Oh no, the thought I cannot bear;
And if God please my life to spare
I hope I shall reward thy care,
And hushed me in her arms to rest,
And on my cheek sweet kisses prest?
My mother.
When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sung sweet lullaby
And rocked me that I should not cry?
My mother.
Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My mother.
When pain and sickness made me cry,
Who gazed upon my heavy eye
And wept, for fear that I should die?
My mother.
Who ran to help me when I fell
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the part to make it well?
My mother.
Who taught my infant lips to pray,
To love God's holy word and day,
And walk in wisdom's pleasant way?
My mother.
Robert’s Comments: Take one or two of these lines and include them in
your speech and you will have something inspirational.
“When sleep forsook my open eye,
Who was it sung sweet lullaby
And rocked me that I should not cry?
My mother.
Who sat and watched my infant head
When sleeping in my cradle bed,
And tears of sweet affection shed?
My mother.”
14. Motivation
Don't Quit
(One the most classic motivational poems)
When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Success is failure turned inside out;
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt;
And you can never tell how close you are;
It may be near when it seems afar.
So, stick to the fight when you're hardest hit It's when things go wrong that you mustn't quit.
Robert’s Comments: Can you imagine your motivation speech ending
with the words:
“When things go wrong as they sometimes will;
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill;
When the funds are low, and the debts are high;
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh;
When care is pressing you down a bit
Rest if you must,
but don't you quit.”
Believe me, it will be a wow!
Anything is Possible
By Unknown
(Another of the classic inspirational
poems)
If there was ever a time to dare,
to make a difference,
to embark on something worth doing,
IT IS NOW.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily...
but for something that tugs at your
heart,
something that's your inspiration,
something that's your dream.
You owe it to yourself to make your days here count.
Carry On!
By Robert W. Service.
It's easy to fight when everything's right,
And you're mad with the thrill and the
glory;
It's easy to cheer when victory's near,
And wallow in fields that are gory.
It's a different song when everything's
wrong.
When you're feeling infernally mortal;
When it's ten against one, and hope there
is none,
Buck up, little soldier, and chortle:
Carry on! Carry on!
There isn't much punch in your blow.
You're glaring and staring and hitting out
blind;
You're muddy and bloody, but never mind.
Carry on! Carry on!
You haven't the ghost of a show.
It's looking like death, but while you've a breath,
Carry on, my son! Carry on!
And so in the strife of the battle of life
It's easy to fight when you're winning;
It's easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there's a man of God's choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven's own height
Is the man who can fight when he's losing.
Carry on! Carry on!
Things never were looming so black.
And though you're unlucky you never are weak.
Carry on! Carry on!
Brace up for another attack.
It's looking like hell, but - you never can tell;
Carry on, old man! Carry on!
There are some who drift out in the deserts of doubt,
And some who in brutishness wallow;
There are others, I know, who in piety go
Because of a Heaven to follow.
But to labor with zest, and to give of your best,
For the sweetness and joy of the giving;
To help folks along with a hand and a song;
Why, there's the real sunshine of living.
Carry on! Carry on!
Fight the good fight and true;
Believe in your mission, greet life with a cheer;
There's big work to do, and that's why you are here.
Carry on! Carry on!
Let the world be the better for you;
And at last when you die, let this be your cry:
Carry on, my soul! Carry on!
15. Premonition
Sudden Light
by Dante Rosetti
I have been here before,
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.
You have been mine before,
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow's soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall - I knew it all of yore.
Has this been thus before?
And shall not thus time's eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death's despite,
And day and night yield one delight once more?
Robert’s Comments: I‘ve included this poem in my selection because I
have a ‗premonition‘ that you will like it.
16. Preoccupation
I heard a bird at dawn
by James Stephens
I heard a bird at dawn
Singing sweetly on a tree,
That the dew was on the lawn,
And the wind was on the lea;
But I didn't listen to him,
For he didn't sing to me.
I didn't listen to him,
For he didn't sing to me
That the dew was on the lawn
And the wind was on the lea;
I was singing at the time
Just as prettily as he.
I was singing all the time,
Just a prettily as he,
About the dew upon the lawn
And the wind upon the lea;
So I didn't listen to him
As he sang upon a tree.
Robert’s Comments: I‘ve always liked this poem of James Stephen.
Not because he‘s Irish like myself but because it sums up the ‗busy & preoccupied‘
lifestyle that most of us live. We are so busy listening to our own singing that we fail to
appreciate the birds singing in the trees.
“But I didn't listen to him,
For he didn't sing to me.”
17. Retirement
Martin Luther King;
Service
Everybody can be great.
Because anybody can serve.
You don‘t have to have a college degree
to serve.
You don‘t have to make your subject and
your verb to agree to serve.
You don‘t have to know Einstein‘s
theory of relativity to serve.
You don‘t have to know the second
theorem of thermo-dynamics in physics to serve.
You only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love.
Robert’s Comments: I first heard these words at a school prize giving.
The distinguished guest who was presenting the prizes addressed us all in a clear loud
voice, lingering awhile on every word he said. It made a deep impression. I can just
imagine what the audience felt when they heard Martin Luther King talking to them about
‗Service‘.
“You only need a heart full of grace.
A soul generated by love.”
And miles to go before I sleep
(Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening - a poem by Robert Frost.)
Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep
Robert’s Comments: I‘m deliberately including Robert Frost‘s worldfamous poem containing those awesome lines, under the heading ‗Retirement‘ because I
think these lines would make an inspired contribution to a retirement or farewell speech.
“But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep”
But it can also be used by someone taking up a new job or a new position. It was
with these same words that Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, ended his
eulogy to his father by paraphrasing those words and saying: ―He has kept his
promises and earned his sleep‖.
18. Time
To The Sun-Dial
(Under the Window of the Hall of the
House of Representatives of the United
States) - a poem by John Quincy Adams
Thou silent herald of Time's silent flight!
Say, could'st thou speak, what warning
voice were thine?
Shade, who canst only show how others shine!
Dark, sullen witness of resplendent light
In day's broad glare, and when the noontide bright
Of laughing fortune sheds the ray divine,
Thy ready favors cheer us - but decline
The clouds of morning and the gloom of night.
Yet are thy counsels faithful, just, and wise;
They bid us seize the moments as they pass-Snatch the retrieveless sunbeam as it flies,
Nor lose one sand of life's revolving glass Aspiring still, with energy sublime,
By virtuous deeds to give eternity to Time.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Take Time:
Take time to thinkIt is the source of all power.
Take time to readIt is the fountain of wisdom.
Take time to playIt is the source of perpetual youth.
Take time to be quietIt is the opportunity to seek God.
Take time to be awareIt is the opportunity to help others.
Take time to love and be lovedIt is God‘s greatest gift.
Take time to laughIt is the music of the soul.
Take time to be friendlyIt is the road to happiness.
Take time to dreamIt is what the future is made of.
Take time to prayIt is the greatest power on earth.
Take time to giveIt is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to workIt is the price of success.
There is a time for everything. . .
Leisure
by William Henry Davies
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this is if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
The Walrus and The Carpenter
by Lewis Carroll
(From Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872)
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-Of cabbages--and kings-And why the sea is boiling hot-And whether pigs have wings."
Robert’s Comments: I‘ve always been a fan of Lewis Carroll‘s Walrus
and the Carpenter. And I often use these lines to capture attention as I stand up to start a
speech or to finish up a speech.
"The time has come," the Walrus said,
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes--and ships--and sealing-wax-Of cabbages--and kings-And why the sea is boiling hot-And whether pigs have wings."
At the start of a speech these lines can be followed with:
... but before we do let me tell you that...
And at the end of a speech these lines may be followed with:
... but first let us be upstanding and raise our glasses to...
19. The Rock and the Bubble
The Rock and The Bubble
by Louisa May Alcott
Oh! a bare, brown rock
Stood up in the sea,
The waves at its feet
Dancing merrily.
A little bubble
Once came sailing by,
And thus to the rock
Did it gayly cry,
Ho! clumsy brown stone,
Quick, make way for me:
I'm the fairest thing
That floats on the sea.
See my rainbow-robe,
See my crown of light,
My glittering form,
So airy and bright.
O'er the waters blue,
I'm floating away,
To dance by the shore
With the foam and spray.
Now, make way, make way;
For the waves are strong,
And their rippling feet
Bear me fast along."
But the great rock stood
Straight up in the sea:
It looked gravely down,
And said pleasantly
Little friend, you must
Go some other way;
For I have not stirred
this many a long day.
Great billows have dashed,
And angry winds blown;
But my sturdy form
Is not overthrown.
Nothing can stir me
In the air or sea;
Then, how can I move,
Little friend, for thee?
Then the waves all laughed
In their voices sweet;
And the sea-birds looked,
From their rocky seat,
At the bubble gay,
Who angrily cried,
While its round cheek glowed
With a foolish pride
You shall move for me;
And you shall not mock
At the words I say,
You ugly, rough rock.
Be silent, wild birds!
While stare you so?
Stop laughing, rude waves,
And help me to go!
For I am the queen
Of the ocean here,
And this cruel stone
Cannot make me fear.
Dashing fiercely up,
With a scornful word,
Foolish Bubble broke;
But Rock never stirred.
Then said the sea-birds,
Sitting in their nests
To the little ones
Leaning on their breasts,
Be not like Bubble,
Headstrong, rude, and vain,
Seeking by violence
Your object to gain;
"But be like the rock,
Steadfast, true, and strong,
Yet cheerful and kind,
And firm against wrong.
Heed, little birdlings,
And wiser you'll be
For the lesson learned
To-day by the sea.
Robert’s Comments: I had to include Louisa May Alcott‘s (the author
of Little Woman) ‗Rock and the Bubble‘ in my selection. It‘s perfect if you have younger
listeners in your audience. Like, for example, at a First Holy Communion party or a
family gathering. It‘s a speech in itself.
“Be not like Bubble,
Headstrong, rude, and vain,
Seeking by violence
Your object to gain;
"But be like the rock,
Steadfast, true, and strong,
Yet cheerful and kind,
And firm against wrong.”