What Genre fits you?

In a few situations in my life, I have found that the way in which you speak can do a lot or a little for you. The genre in which you choose to speak can completely change how you are going to say something. Do you want to be serious, satirical, poetic, or anything else. I agree that this limits the speaker a great deal.

How is a person supposed to speak at a formal engagement as opposed to a casual dinner with friends. You may not notice that you change your speech or tone, but it does happen to everyone. This is not always do to the fact that we want to change how we are perceived, but we do it unconsciously due to our audience.

An audience can change our genre a lot. Not only do we try to spin what we are trying to say to impress a certain audience, we are also making sure that we do not do anything inappropriate. Would it be appropriate for a Senator to give a speech on clean energy in the style of an Old English poem? Probably not. However, if he were giving a speech at the National Poet Society, they may get a kick out of it.

So, as you can tell, the genre you choose to speak in can be a huge determination of how you are perceived and how you want to be perceived. The audience is a big constraint that keeps you from talking in the way you may want to, but it is also a great way to step out of your element. It is my hope that speaking in different genres will challenge every speaker.