Speech is a very powerful tool that top speechwriter, Simon Lancaster, breaks down in this Tedx Talk. He shares how rhetorical devices like breath, metaphors, exaggeration, rhymes, and balance can help build an influential speech.

Given the difficulty and importance of public speaking, many people want to master it but are never quite armed with the right approach and knowledge. As someone with an interest in bettering my public speaking skills, this video proves to be valuable through Lancaster’s use of real-life examples. He explains the golden rule of three that breathless sentences, repetitive phrases, and balancing statements all use.

Some of the most iconic historical speeches use the magic number of three to make an argument more compelling and convincing: “government of the people, for the people, by the people.” Balancing statements like that of John F. Kennedy convince people that the underlying thinking is balanced: “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

These shared rhetorical devices are necessities of well-formed speeches. Lancaster’s talk is informative, valuable, and relevant for any person out there trying to become a better speaker.