commencement speeches
Diploma ceremony orations
Commencement speeches are addresses delivered at graduation ceremonies, typically by invited speakers offering advice and inspiration to students entering a new phase of life.
The genre invites platitudes about following dreams and embracing failure, though memorable ones transcend the formula: Steve Jobs's commencement speech is constantly quoted.
The term reflects commencement's meaning of beginning rather than ending—graduates are commencing adult life.
- Steve JobsApple's co-founder and longtime CEO
- graduationCompleting academic requirements formally
- rhetoricArt of persuasive language
- motivationImpetus toward a goal
- inspirationSource of creative impulse
Oprah Winfrey · societal values · empowerment · ceremony · generational wisdom · storytelling · diploma · valedictory · historical significance · Barack Obama · wisdom · transitions · achievement · pacing · tone · words of wisdom · follow your dreams · advice
- public speakingpublic speaking, keynotes, oratory, oration, presentation
- lectureslecture hall, lecturer, TED Talks, lectern, podium
- motivational speecheskeynotes, pep talks, inspirational talks
- oratorypublic speaking, oration, orations, addresses, debate
- speechesaddresses, lecture, soliloquy, monologue, oration
- academiaprofessors, universities, graduation cap, biology department, professor
commencement speecheseulogies
Speeches honoring the dead
funeral orations · farewell addresses · closing remarks · exit interviews · obituaries
commencement, commence, commencing, commenced, recommence, recommenced, recommencing, speech, speeches