Comments on: Manvotional #2: We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers

By: uberVU - social comments

uberVU - social comments — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:19:34 +0000

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This post was mentioned on Friendfeed by Daniel R. Partain: Henry V St. Crispin’s Day Speech | The Art of Manliness – http://artofmanliness.com/2008……

By: 30 Days to a Better Man-Day 10: Memorize “If” | The Art of Manliness

Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:47:20 +0000

[...] position and need to get psyched up to lead your group to success. Mull over the words to the “St. Crispen’s Day” speech. There’s probably a poem or a great speech that can be used to motivate you for any [...]

By: Dom

Dom — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:08:58 +0000

The Declaration of Independence, ‘manly’?? I don’t think so. Politically inspiring, yes without a doubt. Historically significant, definitely. ‘Manly’? Do me a favour. Would you give that to your son and expect them to be motivated?? I hope not. Give them ‘If’ by Rudyard Kipling or ‘The Soldier’ by Rupert Brooke (written in The Trenches in northern France, see: http://thepoormouth.blogspot.com/2007/07/if-i-should-die-think-only-this-of-me.html) or perhaps the speech given by Colonel Tim Collins to the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Rifles in March 2003 before heading north into Iraq. You give any one of those three to your sons and they’ll thank you for it one day…..

By: Charles

Charles — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:36:24 +0000

I would love to have heard Hernando Cortes speak. Read about his exploits in Bernal Diaz del Castillo’s eyewitness account, “The Discovery and Conquest of Mexico.” This was a man who had his wits about him, sterling judgment, a honeyed tongue, an uncanny ability to lead men into battle after battle with harrowing odds, and a passion for teaching the Holy Faith to the pagans and planting in them an ardent devotion to Our Lady.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 19:32:20 +0000

Proud to say that I committed both Manvotionals to memory long ago. Some others that I have memorized over the years that might be future material for a Manvotional are “The Thousandth Man” by Kipling, the Happy Warrior by Wordsworth, and “Invictus” by Henley. Solid reading for any man.

By: cory huff

cory huff — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 02:58:35 +0000

As an actor, the role of Henry and doing that speech is one of the most coveted roles in the theatrical cannon. I love that speech so much, and love watching really great actors do it.

*shivers*

Thanks Brett!

By: Brett

Brett — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 01:28:18 +0000

@Britt-

We did a whole post on historical speeches awhile back you may be interested in:

http://artofmanliness.com/2008/08/01/the-35-greatest-speeches-in-history/

A small caveat: The Declaration of Independence wasn’t a speech.

By: Britt

Britt — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:51:34 +0000

… as an example

By: Britt

Britt — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:51:14 +0000

Quite frankly, there are many motivational speeches that are from history, not merely literature, as Shakespeare’s reprinted above…

The Declaration of Independence, that is motivational.

By: Chris Jackstien

Chris Jackstien — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 21:16:29 +0000

Inspiring. Yes. But in fairness, you should also read Henry V’s speech before the walls of Harfleur while his army’s just itching for a slaughter. Classy of the good King to deflect blame onto the men of Harfleur for all the raping and pillaging that’s about to go down if they don’t surrender asap.

Here it is:

KING HENRY. How yet resolves the Governor of the town?
This is the latest parle we will admit;
Therefore to our best mercy give yourselves
Or, like to men proud of destruction,
Defy us to our worst; for, as I am a soldier,
A name that in my thoughts becomes me best,
If I begin the batt’ry once again,
I will not leave the half-achieved Harfleur
Till in her ashes she lie buried.
The gates of mercy shall be all shut up,
And the flesh’d soldier, rough and hard of heart,
In liberty of bloody hand shall range
With conscience wide as hell, mowing like grass
Your fresh fair virgins and your flow’ring infants.
What is it then to me if impious war,
Array’d in flames, like to the prince of fiends,
Do, with his smirch’d complexion, all fell feats
Enlink’d to waste and desolation?
What is’t to me when you yourselves are cause,
If your pure maidens fall into the hand
Of hot and forcing violation?
What rein can hold licentious wickednes
When down the hill he holds his fierce career?
We may as bootless spend our vain command
Upon th’ enraged soldiers in their spoil,
As send precepts to the Leviathan
To come ashore. Therefore, you men of Harfleur,
Take pity of your town and of your people
Whiles yet my soldiers are in my command;
Whiles yet the cool and temperate wind of grace
O’erblows the filthy and contagious clouds
Of heady murder, spoil, and villainy.
If not- why, in a moment look to see
The blind and bloody with foul hand
Defile the locks of your shrill-shrieking daughters;
Your fathers taken by the silver beards,
And their most reverend heads dash’d to the walls;
Your naked infants spitted upon pikes,
Whiles the mad mothers with their howls confus’d
Do break the clouds, as did the wives of Jewry
At Herod’s bloody-hunting slaughtermen.
What say you? Will you yield, and this avoid?
Or, guilty in defence, be thus destroy’d?

By: Owen Scharlotte

Owen Scharlotte — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 05:52:46 +0000

Great speech, but I slightly prefer Lawrence Olivier’s version of Henry V.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9fa3HFR02E