Declamation Defined
According to Merriam-Webster, to declaim is "to speak rhetorically" or "to recite something as an
exercise in elocution." A declamation is a statement that allows you to do this—is is a strong
speech filled with emotion.
Outside of politics, the most likely place to encounter a declamation is a public speaking class.
Most public speaking classes ask students to deliver declamation pieces. This is a favorite
activity for the speech teacher because it allows the student to prominently show emotions. The
term "declamation" can be interpreted differently, but most take declamation to mean
expressing a speech or piece in a dramatic and eloquent fashion. Declamation is filled with
passion and dramatic flair. It is not a simple affair, nor is it an ordinary "reading" of a piece.
Declamation requires acting.
Bad Girl Entrusted me to a yaya, whose intelligence
This is a popular declamation piece about a was much lower than mine!
"bad girl" who becomes bad because of the While you go about your parties, your
negligence of her family, school, and meetings and gambling session.
society. Thus... I drifted away from you!
Longing for a father`s love, yearning for a
Hey! Everybody seems to be staring at me. mother`s care!
You! You! All of you! As I grew up, everything changed!
How dare you to stare at me?! You too have changed!
Why? Is it because I`m a bad girl? You spent more time in your poker, majong
A bad girl I am, a good-for-nothing teenager tables, bars and night clubs.
—a problem child? You even landed on the headlines of the
That's what you call me! newspaper as crooks, pedlars and
I smoke. I drink. I gamble at my young racketeers.
tender age. Now, you call me names, accuse me of
I lie. I cheat, and I could even kill, if I have everything I do to myself?
to. Tell me! How good are you?
Yes, I`m a bad girl, but where are my If you really wish to ensure my future...
parents? Then hurry....hurry back home! Where I
You! You! You are my good parents? await you, because I need you.
My good elder brother and sister in this Protect me from all evil influences that will
society where I live? threaten me at my very own understanding.
Look! Look at me.... What have you done to But if I am bad, really bad...then, you've got
me? to help me!
You have pampered and spoiled me, Help me! Oh please... Help me!
neglected me when I needed you most!
Come now, man of weak soul!
Your days are numbered for you to face
The Man of Love.
You may not cry now but later you will
When the chilling reality of the last judgment
Comes across your way;
Yes, then you will pity, but not for me.
Not for anybody else.
But for yourself only!
Yes, eat, drink, and be merry.
For tomorrow you shall die!
The Rich Man and the Poor Man
This is another popular piece that has been
delivered in declamation contests time and "If--" by Rudyard Kipling
time again. It is a dialogue between two "If" is written in 1895 by British Nobel
men: the selfish rich and the begging poor. laureate Rudyard Kipling, as a tribute to
It is, perhaps, memorable for this line: "Eat, Leander Starr Jameson. The poem is a
drink, and be merry. For tomorrow you shall favorite in the literary circles because it
die!" clearly communicates life advice that a
parent would bestow on his child.
“Food and money I give to you,
Why do you shout so mercilessly If you can keep your head when all about
When I give you your part?” you
queried the rich man. Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt
The poor man replied: you,
“Your question you cannot answer But make allowance for their doubting too:
For from pain and agony you are free, If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
But I have suffered and borne Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
The situation that I don’t like to be in.” Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too
“That I couldn’t understand wise;
Because life for me is easy;
I take this and take that, If you can dream—and not make dreams
And life is just what I want it to be.” your master;
consented the rich man. If you can think—and not make thoughts
your aim,
“Comfort your mind, rich man, If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
with realities of death. And treat those two impostors just the
Your wealth I do not envy same:
For you cannot buy If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve
eternity with money. spoken
If to live happily Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
is to live in hypocrisy, Or watch the things you gave your life to,
Then I prefer to be silly broken,
so I would be holy. And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out
Life you love so much you will lose tools;
And only then will you understand
What agony is,” the poor man shouted. If you can make one heap of all your
winnings
“Ha! Ha! Ha! You say so And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
For you desire this place of mine. And lose, and start again at your beginnings
Indulgence you have clouded with reason And never breathe a word about your loss:
But I understand because of your situation.” If you can force your heart and nerve and
boastfully the rich man said. sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
Outraged the poor man answered: And so hold on when there is nothing in you
“How pitiful the person blinded with Except the Will which says to them: "Hold
pleasure; on!"
No, you don’t care of our journey
That you have created through your If you can talk with crowds and keep your
greediness. virtue,
Or walk with Kings—nor lose the common
touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt
you,
If all men count with you, but none too
much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my
son!
Am I to Be Blamed?
This is a moving piece about a young girl
arrested for stealing. She pleads her case to O Captain! My Captain!
the police officers and tells her life story. This poem by Walt Whitman is a memorable
one that many students deliver. Dedicated
They're chasing me, they're chasing, no to Abraham Lincoln, this poem talks about a
they must not catch me, I have enough fallen captain who would no longer be
money now, yes enough for my starving around to witness the clear waters and solid
mother and brothers. land that his ship has come upon after
Please let me go, let me go home before weathering tumultuous waves and
you imprison me. tempests. This is a sad poem, expressing
Very well, officers? Take me to your the grievance of a people who have lost
headquarters. Good morning captain! no their leader.
captain, you are mistaken, I was once a
good girl, just like the rest of you here. Just I have included the first stanza here, but
like any of your daughters. But time was, take a look at the Poetry Foundation for a
when I was reared in slums. But we lived copy of the poem that is correctly formatted;
honestly, we lived honestly in life. My, as you will be able to see, it does make a
father, mother, brothers, sisters, and I. But difference.
then, poverty entered the portals of our
home. My father became jobless, my O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is
mother got ill. The small savings that my done,
mother had kept for our expenses were The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize
spent. All for our daily needs and her we sought is won,
needed medicine. The port is near, the bells I hear, the people
One night, my father went out, telling us that all exulting,
he would come back in a few minutes with While follow eyes the steady keel, the
plenty of food and money, but that was the vessel grim and daring;
last time I saw him. He went with another But O heart! heart! heart!
woman. If only I could lay my hands on his O the bleeding drops of red,
neck I would wring it without pain until he Where on the deck my Captain lies,
breathes no more. If you were in my place, Fallen cold and dead.
you'll do it, wouldn't you Captain? What?
You won't still believe in me? Come and I'll
show you a dilapidated shanty by a railroad.
Mother, mother I'm home. Mother? Mother?!
There Captain, see my dead mother.
Captain? There are tears in your eyes? Now
pack this stolen money and return it to the
owner. What good would this do to my
mother now? She's already gone! Do you
hear me? She's already gone. Am I to be
blamed for the things I have done?
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
A Psalm of Life
"The Psalm of Life" is a poem by Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow (another personal Vengeance is Not Ours, It’s God’s
favorite) that expresses a beautiful message
of life: to make use of our time on earth, to (Another winning declamation piece. It's
pursue dreams, and just LIVE! good to memorize and good to recite. You
will really cry when you will deliver this
Tell me not, in mournful numbers, piece in front of the audience. Find out
Life is but an empty dream! why.)
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem. Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of
bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child
Life is real! Life is earnest! so young, so thin, and so ragged. Why are
And the grave is not its goal; you staring at me? With my eyes I cannot
Dust thou art, to dust returnest, see but I know that you are all staring at me.
Was not spoken of the soul. Why are you whispering to one another?
Why? Do you know my mother? Do you
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow, know my father? Did you know me five
Is our destined end or way; years ago?
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day. Yes, five years of bitterness have passed. I
can still remember the vast happiness
Art is long, and Time is fleeting, mother and I shared with each other. We
And our hearts, though stout and brave, were very happy indeed.
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave. Suddenly, five loud knocks were heard on
the door and a deep silence ensued. Did the
In the world’s broad field of battle, cruel Nippon’s discover our peaceful home?
In the bivouac of Life, Mother ran to Father’s side pleading.
Be not like dumb, driven cattle! “Please, Luis, hide in the cellar, there in the
Be a hero in the strife! cellar where they cannot find you,” I pulled
my father’s arm but he did not move. It
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant! seemed as though his feet were glued to
Let the dead Past bury its dead! the floor.
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead! The door went “bang” and before us five
ugly beasts came barging in. “Are you
Lives of great men all remind us Captain Luis Santos?” roared the ugliest of
We can make our lives sublime, them all. “Yes,” said my father. “You are
And, departing, leave behind us under arrest,” said one of the beasts. They
Footprints on the sands of time; pulled father roughly away from us. Father
was not given a chance to bid us goodbye.
Footprints, that perhaps another,
We followed them mile after mile. We were
hungry and thirsty. We saw group of
Japanese eating. Oh, how our mouths
watered seeing the delicious fruits they
were eating,
Then suddenly, we heard a voice call,
“Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . .
Oscar. . . . Consuelo. . . . Oscar. . . .” we ran
towards the direction of the voice, but it was
too late. We saw father hanging on a
tree. . . . dead. Oh, it was terrible. He had
been badly beaten before he died. . . . and I
cried vengeance, vengeance, vengeance!
Everything went black. The next thing I
knew I was nursing my poor invalid mother.
One day, we heard the church bell ringing
“ding-dong, ding-dong!” It was a sign for us
to find a shelter in our hide-out, but I could
not leave my invalid mother, I tried to show
her the way to the hide-out.
Suddenly, bombs started falling; airplanes
were roaring overhead, canyons were firing
from everywhere. “Boom, boom, boom,
boom!” Mother was hit. Her legs were
shattered into pieces. I took her gently in my
arms and cried, “I’ll have vengeance,
vengeance!” “No, Oscar. Vengeance, it’s
God’s,” said mother.
I KILLED HIM BECAUSE I LOVED HIM
But I cried out vengeance. I was like a pent-
up volcano. “Vengeance is mine not the (Selfish love... This is my own description of
Lord’s”. “No, Oscar. Vengeance is not ours, the piece. Read it and you will understand
it’s God’s” these were the words from my why.)
mother before she died.
Honorable judge, gentlemen of the jury,
Mother was dead and I was blind. people of the Philippines, judge me, am I
Vengeance is not ours? To forgive is divine guilty or not guilty?
but vengeance is sweeter. That was five
years ago, five years. . . . But before you sentence me to death let me
tell you my story.
Alms, alms, alms. Spare me a piece of
bread. Spare me your mercy. I am a child There was a young girl seventeen years of
so young, so thin, and so ragged. age with curvaceous body 36, 24, 26, a long
Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s. . . . It’s. . . hair and sizzling eyes being rich as she was
. God’s. . It’s… she studied at an exclusive school.
Oh my gosh! I met this guy, he’s the best
player in our basketball team, and he’s the
heartthrob of our school. OH my gosh! His
name? Guess what? who? Robbie Satillian
isn't sweet? Oh my gosh we became
friends. We became friends. Later more
than that after one year of relationship, we
decided to settle down the marriage that
cut-off the ties of our families and since his
parents disagree that’s why he was not
supported on his studies. So I decided to
give up my studies and work as a sales lady
in the supermarket.
Then one night he returned home, he asked
for money but I can’t gave him for I just
gave him last night, so he walked out the
door and the next day he returned home, he
was cold as ever and hard as a stone.
One day his graduation came. I was so
happy. I expected
Robbie to invite me but he never said a
word. I didn't mind it. I still attend his
graduation ceremony and when his name
was called with a degree of medicine a
suma cum laude Robi Santillan, I shouted
with glee! When i stood up I was shocked
when another girl stood up, and gave that
medal to him. I’m supposed to give that
medal and pin that ribbon, because I’m his
wife, I’m his wife right? I AM HIS WIFE!
With that unpleasant thought fain when he
returned home that night, I confronted him.
“Robbie, who was that girl?” I asked. He
answered, "It's none of your business" he
said but Robbie I’m your wife, "You’re just
my wife" Robbie how could you do this to
me? I gave up my studies and worked as a
sales lady and this? This is how you
payback? “I have to leave”, he said and
when he had packed his this things I
decided to get my 45 mm revolver.
“Robbie, you can't just leave me” (pointing
the gun to his face) “You can just leave me,
Robbie.” “You can't just do this honey. be
calm, be calm”.......”No, no, no you can't just
leave me, Robbie. You can't just do this”.
But he still decided to go and I did threw
worst in my whole painstaking life “Mr.
Robbie Santillian with a degree of medicine A GLASS OF COLD WATER
a Suma cumlaude you will pay all my labors (This declamation piece is about a beautiful
and sacrifices young girl who was busy preparing herself
for a party. When her mother asked for a
“BANG! , BANG! I shot him Robbie.......I had glass of water, she ignored her mother and
killed him.......I had killed him with my went to a party. When she went back home,
barehands..... huhuhu… I'm so sorry. she saw her mother lying down the floor,
dead. Regret always comes in the end.
And now honourable judge gentlemen of the This piece is suited for young girls for it is
jury people of the Philippines judge me am i very easy to memorize.)
guilty or not guilty?
I KILLED HIM BECAUSE I LOVED HIM
Everybody calls me young, beautiful,
wonderful. Am I? Look at my hair, my lips,
my red rosy cheeks and a pair of blinkering
eyes.
I remember, somebody says that I look like
my mother that I look like my mother. But
that when she was young.
Now, I am much lovelier than she is. I’m a
mortal Venus. Oops! What time is it? I must
get ready for the party!
Beep-beep…!A-huh! Here they are! Yes, I’m
coming!
"Child, are you still there?"
"Hmp! That’s my mama"
"Child, are you still there? Will you please
get me a glass of cold water?"
"Mama, I’m in a hurry!"
"Please child, try to get me a glass of cold
water."
"Mama, please, try to get it on your own."
"Please child, try to get me a glass of cold
water!"
At the party, I danced and danced the whole
night. You see, I can’t leave the party at
once. I have to dance with everybody who
proposed to me.
At last, the party is over. I’m very tired. Very,
very tired. So, I went home to tell mama
what happened.
"Mama, I’m home! It’s very quiet. "Mama,
I’m home!" Nobody answers. Where is she?
I look for her in the sala, but she’s not there.
Where is she? A-huh! In the kitchen!
I saw my mama, lying down on the floor,
dead. With a glass on her hand. I
remember, she tried to get it.
Oh, God, just for the glass of cold water!
Mama! Mama! Oh, Mama!
Taken For Granted
(How do you show your faith to God? How
do you ask forgiveness to God every time
you committed mistakes in life? Until when
you will put the pride in your hearts and will
not kneel down? This declamation piece
can help us reflect on our relationship to
God. Don't forget to pray after reading this
piece. ^_^)
“Christians? Christians?”
Have you heard that call? They’re looking
for me. That’s definitely me. You’re in doubt
and Why? You want me to give you proofs?
Oh! That’s very easy.
Who told you to doubt that I am a Christian?
I am a Christian! How?
I went to church. I pray. I have my religion. I
read the Bible. I love kids and I am giving
them what they want. I sing gospel songs.
Now you’re telling me that you are in doubt?
How dare you to question me?
supposed to be there because those are my
Can’t you see? Or Are you blind? I am the sins. I forgot my purpose here on earth; you
true definition of a Christian. You’re so know what, he’s been good to me. But I
pathetic; you don’t have the right to question always take him for granted. I’m doing
me that way. things not for his glory but for my own. I
should live for him because he died for me.
What?! You want to ask me more?!… I’ll I’m so ashamed now. But Lord you still
think about it for a second. Hmhm… Ok! I’m forgave me. You’re so good. And you
sure I’ll be able to answer all your questions brought me to my knees.
fluently. Go… Ask me….
Now I’m talking and standing in front of you
You’re asking me if I go to church every and I don’t care if you are going to laugh at
Sunday?! I told you… I GO TO CHURCH… me. I care to tell you things that I believe I
ahmm b-bu-but not every Sunday. Every must tell you. He won everything in me and
other Sunday I guess that’s fine with the he’s been waiting for you too… If you
Lord. believe you have him, you may now shout
what Carman once wrote “Jesus is the
Why?! I-I-I have a project every other Champion”.
Sunday. Yes r-r-right, I have a project. The
Lord understands that.
Liar?! I’m not a liar. I’m telling you the truth
in fact I went to church last three Sundays
straight and Oh my Gosh Cris is in the stage
he’s starting to play the guitar.
Ooops I slip!
Ok fine. I went to church three times straight
without absent b-because of Cris. He’s cute,
he’s talented. And I’m still there for the Lord.
Liar? I’m not a liar. I am still a Christian. It
so happen that I don’t have any projects
that Sunday.
Ahhh! Fake?! I’m not a fake Christian; at
least I go to church.
Don’t shout! Ahhh! I said I’m not a fake
Christian, I-I-I pray… every other day. At
least I pray.
No! I said I am a true Christian I read the
Bible. I open it… Every time the Pastor is
telling me to do so.
Ok stop. Why do we need to argue? I guess
I really don’t know what Christianity is?
Ok! I go to church not because of Christ but
because of Chris! I’m sleeping every time
there is a sermon because I only love the
music. I don’t read my Bible because I
guess that’s boring. I sing… “Jesus, I
surrender I draw nearer, I fall down” but the
truth I’m not sincere with that. But I guess
my works will be credited in his name. I
share my blessings to the poor, i give gifts
every Sunday and I have a religion I guess
that works…I don’t know.
Right, Ephesians 2: 8-9 was right. It is not
by works that I will be saved because Jesus
is the only way. And I am so wrong I don’t
even mind his sacrifices on the cross. I am
