Retirement Verse Tips

A retirement verse can be a great addition to a speech but there are some things to remember

Audiences don't like to listen to speeches that go on and on, even really good ones, they want to get back to celebrating, so don't include a verse just for the sake of it. However if you are sure you want to include one, consider these guidelines.

Where do I find a Verse?

Firstly you need to find a verse. One of the best way to find something suitable is look at poems, they do not necessarily have to be retirement one but they might have the most appriopriate lines.

Once you have found some, look at individual verses to see if any would fit your speech.

What makes a Good Verse ? The verse should be able to stand-alone, for example, ask yourself 'does it makes sense without the rest of the poem'. If it doesn’t, then it is unlikely to be any good for your speech. After all, why include something that no one else appreciates.

Be ruthless even though the retirement poem may be fantastic if it doesn’t give you those lovely few stand-alone lines, discard it and start again.

Long Retirement Verses

If you’ve found one that you really want to include but it is slightly too long, don’t worry, use it to complement your speech.

• Are you including a slide show presentation for the retiree’s, if so why not include it as a slide?
• Alternatively, are you giving a video roasting?  If you start the video with a verse, the retiree may expect a nice tribute imagine the shock when it turns into his roasting.

There are no rules. Verses can be serious or light-hearted, they can rhyme, or have no rhythm. Just use one that suits the retiree and the audience. It will blend in better if it compliments your speech. You might use it as a nice lead in to your retirement toast.

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