Choosing Good Commemorative Speech Topics: Tips and Examples

A commemorative speech is a type of talk typically given at special events to celebrate a person, group, event, situation, place, institution, idea, etc. or to recall (someone or something)/ show respect. It is also known as a ceremonial speech. Find this topic difficult? Our essay writers are experts in the academic field.

In US education context, it is the talk given during graduation ceremony (in colleges) in which students typically express gratitude/respect towards an academic institution and teaching staff, family, colleagues, etc., recall the good time they had in this environment as well as potential challenges, and highlight the importance of received education/skills for their future. Legal essay writing service help you with your essay, personal statement, or any of your document needs.

This diversity of occasions makes it quite frequently demanded and hence, important to master. A particular challenge for anyone facing this task is choosing an appropriate topic. Also EduBirdie has "write my speech for me" services. Consulting lists of commemorative speech topics and general categories they fall into can help you save some time and is the equivalent of going through a series of brainstormed solutions.

Features of a Good Oral Presentation

A good commemorative speech has to grab attention of your audience and make them want to listen it to the end, understand it and be positively impressed by it. That is why your talk should be:

Engaging. This can be achieved in multiple ways – you must either try being creative and avoid clichés, introduce a little controversy (within reasonable limits), trigger powerful introspection and important comprehension, or try being funny while still paying tribute, for instance, consider some funny commemorative speech topics.

Inspiring – it is equally important that your talk is not only entertaining but also highlights values you revere and want to share, gratitude you want to express, the sanctity and value of what you are talking about. To inspire is often the main purposes of a commemorative speech.

Positive – obviously, an overly enthusiastic discourse can look unnatural, naïve, or boring, so it is important to compromise wisely on this aspect, but delivering a generally positive message is simply a must (in fact, even when commemorating a recently deceased, one should bring out the bright moments shared with him/her, the legacy, inspiring character traits, etc.). When considering commemorative speech topics for college students, the discourse should be both optimistic and empowering.

Relevant – stay maximally connected to the audience, refer to some collective memories (even recent events the US or your community have gone through) or to some relevant individual memories that would resonate with the audience. Always attempt being specific rather than general, mention real people, groups, teachers, events (this will help engage with the audience).

How to Choose a Good Commemorative Speech Topic

When you considering commemorative speech ideas for class assignments, ensure you follow these recommendations:

• Research – research online for potential topic lists, for videos of previous commemorative speeches at your university or other top universities throughout the US (there are dozens of similar performances on YouTube, including from celebrities).
• Brainstorm – doing this yourself, could help you come up with a very individual, original, or personally meaningful topic.
• Know your audience – as stated, to be relevant and adapt your oral presentation, you need to know who will be present during the ceremony (especially if you plan directly mentioning someone)
• Ensure topics are meaningful and that you have a message to deliver (the former almost guarantees the latter)
• Ensure your topic is not identical with that of other speakers – if you can’t check this aspect with your colleagues, opt for a maximally original topic.

Yet another option for identifying a topic or writing the entire performance is to contract a commemorative custom speech writing services that could assist you throughout the steps or help pick great topic. Just message us ‘write speech for me’ to get an expert assistance.

30 Commemorative Talk Categories for You to Choose

Ideas for commemorative speech may fall into different categories depending on the topic, value or event they celebrate:

1. love
2. loss
3. kindness/ benevolence
4. gentleness
5. loneliness
6. bravery
7. memory
8. honor
9. courage
10. perseverance
11. success
12. experience
13. loyalty
14. trust
15. wisdom/ understanding
16. honesty
17. tradition
18. innocence
19. inspiration
20. hope
21. empowerment
22. beauty (inner or outer) 
23. respect
24. legacy
25. humanity
26. independence (personal, independence in thought)
27. self-sacrifice
28. guilt (if used to highlight someone’s morals/visionary attitude or a historical injustice)
29. visionary leadership
30. dedication

Read also: Good Persuasive Speech Topics

Need more writing assistance?

Connect with our top writers and receive writing sample crafted to your needs.

Try Edubirdie

Reviews.io

 

4.8/5

50 Best Commemorative Speech Topics

Here is a selection of 50 best topics for commemorative speeches to choose from and make your talk memorable:

1. Tribute to a parent, sibling, colleague
2. Tribute to an eminent personality
3. Successful international collaboration in tackling the ozone depletion problem
4. Successful landing on the Moon
5. History of an invention (describing challenges and how they were overcome)
6. Perseverance needed to win a major sports event
7. Tribute to civil rights movement
8. Tribute to women’s rights movement
9. Value of humility in an egocentric world
10. Celebrating Buddhist values (or other religion)
11. What value freedom has for you and what form it takes
12. Examples of inspiring and successful environmental activism
13. Value of hope (bringing the crew of Apollo 13 back to Earth unharmed)
14. Human courage (veterans, policemen)
15. Courageous actions in tough situations (terrorist attacks)
16. Selfless dedication in a teacher, parent, etc.
17. Acts of compromise that marked maturity/personal evolution in your life
18. Strength of character (in a historical figure or living person)
19. Kindness as experienced by you or as seen in a historic personality
20. Dreams (Nikola Tesla’s dreams)
21. Darwin’s quest for truth despite fears of blasphemy
22. Visionaries (Jules Verne)
23. Hard working people that achieved success
24. Creation of social media (Facebook)
25. Inspiring collaboration examples (Human Genome Project)
26. WW2 events (Pearl Harbor, landing in Normandy)
27. Humanity’s striving for peace
28. Inspiring examples of loyalty (war comrades, family, etc.)
29. Examples of originality (Van Gogh’s art, Pollock, etc.)
30. Artistic or scientific genius (Mozart, Newton)
31. Human adaptability and overcoming challenges (astronauts on International Space Station)
32. Independent thinking examples (Noam Chomsky, Charles Bukowski)
33. Intellectual milestones (solving mathematical problems like Poincare conjecture)
34. Disease eradication examples (worldwide eradication of poliomyelitis)
35. Milestones in space exploration (landing Curiosity rover on Mars, Pluto flyby)
36. Healthcare milestones (historic advances in treating AIDS)
37. Global human milestones (the progress in fighting famine/ illiteracy)
38. Colossal improvements in human lifespan worldwide
39. Great travelers in history (Magellan, Columbus)
40. Lifestyle and values of extinct people and civilizations (native Indians, Maya)
41. Monumental discoveries (DNA structure)
42. Birth of democracy (Magna Carta Libertatum act in Britain)
43. First trip abroad – what you’ve learned about the outside world or about the US by taking a step back and evaluating. If you went as an exchange student, this topic could be used to highlight the positive aspects/strengths of your university/academic community
44. Tribute to a great teacher or nurturing mentor
45. Eulogy for a professor that taught a course at your university
46. Quality of education received and opportunities opened by your academic institution
47. Academic success achieved by your group and what it qualifies you for
48. Success of your team in a sports event/league which was possible due to support from your university
49. How you became family with your classmates/colleagues and what you learned
50. How you transformed (intellectually, spiritually, morally) after enrolling in your college/university and how meaningful this transformation is

Read also: The Best Demonstration Speech Ideas

Edubirdie is Here to Save Your Day

This short guide offers only a few commemorative speech ideas – in reality, they are only limited by your imagination. Think about the message (brainstorm if needed), consider the basic recommendations provided above, and you’ll be on the right track.

Many students decide to buy term papers online. If you are out of time or simply need the assistance of a professional speech writer, feel free to upload your task with necessary instructions to our online platform. You would be able to transparently evaluate bids placed by our professional writers checking their rating, number of completed orders, reviews and pick a favorite one. Note that you can benefit from unlimited revisions until you are satisfied with the job!