Declamation

Declamation is all about style. It’s about taking an idea and passionately conveying it authentically.

In Declamation, students choose a speech that was written and publicly delivered by someone else, and they memorize it (or an excerpt of it.) A declamation is expected to be between 8 and 10 minutes at the high school level, including a short introduction giving context about the piece the student chose. Middle schoolers are encouraged to aim for at least a 5 minute declamation.

Here’s a sample. BDL coach Aliyah was the Declamation champion at Columbia University’s national tournament with this speech when she was a sophomore:

Declamation is also an opportunity to allow another writer or thinker to help you shape words around a cause you feel really passionately about. Some places to find great essays or speeches to use for declamation are:

• TED Talks

• Look up commencement speeches