Anatomy of a commencement speech
The best graduation speeches follow a surprisingly similar pattern


We combed through dozens of inspirational, funny, and memorable commencement speeches and found the best ones follow a surprisingly similar pattern comprising eight distinct parts. Listen to the anatomy of a graduation address above and click on the links below to watch any of the speeches in full.
- Will Ferrell at University of Southern California, 2017
- Stephen Colbert at Northwestern University, 2011
- Jon Stewart at the College of William & Mary, 2004
- Kerry Washington at George Washington University, 2013
- Conan O'Brien at Dartmouth College, 2011
- Jim Carrey at Maharishi University of Management, 2014
- Toni Morrison at Wellesley College, 2004
- Peter Dinklage at Bennington College, 2012
- Shonda Rhimes at Dartmouth College, 2014
- Steve Jobs at Stanford University, 2005
- Natalie Portman at Harvard University, 2015
- David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College, 2005
- Ellen DeGeneres at Tulane University, 2009
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lindsey Kratochwill is a digital production assistant at TheWeek.com where she edits podcasts and videos. She also co-hosts a podcast for Popular Science and has written for Popular Science, Fast Company, and The Guardian, among other publications. She's an unapologetic science nerd and an apologetic Floridian.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'