Q&R 4

Why can’t writing be compared to speech? Is it possible to revise your verbal words? Why or why not can you do this?

 

Speech cannot be compared to writing in my honest opinion because, as stated in the text, it is impossible to revise your words. Once you have voiced yourself, you cannot retract your statement. It is as if you had damaged something irreplaceable, you may try to fix it but what has been done has been done cannot be erased.  There are other reasons why speech cannot be compared to writing, because writing is a process in which you collect your ideas, revise and edit, and publicize your content. However, I feel that speech is more impromptu. Speeches are usually well prepared beforehand though, usually the same as the writing process, but depending on the tone the person gives the speech in, it may have a different interpretation. The person may give what might be received by many as a bland speech, however, had the person just read the text, they could have concluded that it was intended to have this meaning, by inferring from the diction and syntax of the piece. One of the other things is when giving a speech, is if you happen to make a mistake, some more critical people may attack this and draw from this mishap that you are ill prepared and do not know the subjects as well as you claim. But that would have to be a worst case scenario to most people. I feel that there is no way for anyone to revised their spoken words, it would be like taking the information back from anyone who had heard what they were speaking of.