Commencement Speeches

I know I'm not abroad yet, but some things have to be told. I feel as though it's important for you--dear reader--to be familiar with how I see the world. Tonight's post is about my recent discovery: I've discovered that commencement addresses are fantastic. Typically I've been reading college addresses, but a great speech can come from anywhere. The important thing here is that it's spoken. Spoken word. It's poetry. It's magical. It's art. One of my favorites was a speech that David Foster Wallace gave to Kenyon College in 2005 before his untimely death. It is now a book, but can still be read here. Additionally, I've also stumbled upon a link of Neil Gaiman giving the 2012 address to the University of the Arts graduates, which can be found here. I recommend you watch the video--the text is a little off and it doesn't display the kind of charisma that Gaiman has while speaking. So my question then to you is this: have you ever heard a great speech? Have you read one? If so, I want to hear about it, so leave a comment below.

Rachel