Mark Twain Quotes

Eloquence, when at its highest pitch, leaves little room for reason or reflection; but addressing itself entirely to the fancy or the affections, captivates the willing hearers, and subdues their understanding. Happily, this pitch it seldom attains. But what a Tully or a Demosthenes could scarcely effect over a Roman or Athenian audience, every Capuchin, every itinerant or stationary teacher can perform over the generality of mankind, and in a higher degree, by touching such gross and vulgar passions.

No matter what Hitler said, he spoke with a fine feeling for the particular circle which he addressed. ... He was a great psychologist.

The air of the New World seems favorable to the art of declamation.

In oratory the will must predominate.

He steps on stage and draws the sword of rhetoric, and when he is through, someone is lying wounded and thousands of others are either angry or consoled.

I wish I could talk like Donald Trump or Steve Wynn. Hell, I'd love it.

Some eloquence is like a magic.

… a style of oratory that I never heard equaled in this or any other country

Long speeches work if they’re filled with substance.

A man may lack everything but tact and conviction and still be a forcible speaker.

A candidate has to reach people's heads and reach their hearts.

Eloquence may set fire to reason.

The object of oratory alone is not truth, but persuasion.

The purpose of oratory or philosophy [is to] respectively leave people in a fighting or thoughtful mood.

Great speech is impassioned; small speech cantankerous.

This fellow has a silver tongue

I must say I'm not very fond of oratory that's so full of energy it hasn't any room for facts.

Political campaigns are designedly made into emotional orgies which endeavor to distract attention from the real issues involved, and they actually paralyze what slight powers of cerebration man can normally muster.

Eloquence is an art of saying things in such a way—(1) that those to whom we speak may listen to them without pain and with pleasure; (2) that they feel themselves interested

There is nothing in the world like persuasive speech to fuddle the mental apparatus.

The more I read about the rules the great orators used, the more I realised, of course, this is how you stir people's hearts, and you persuade and cajole and move people out of fixed positions. The techniques are quite menacingly easy.

They are playing a game. They are playing at not playing a game. If I show them I see they are, I shall break the rules and they will punish me. I must play their game, of not seeing I see the game.

Barack Obama says what he has to say as a politician. I say what I have to say as a pastor. But they're two different worlds.

If your own mind is muddled, much more will the minds of your hearers be confused.

By manipulating queuing, by manipulating expectation, you can lead people to a fundamental confrontation, not only with themselves, but with the Other.