Examples of Elocution Sentences I need more practice to enhance my articulation. Prince Vasili, renowned for his oratory skills, was to read it. He submitted to minute drills in elocution and became a fluent extemporaneous speaker with a patience strange to his impetuous character. Elocution is the art of delivering speeches or reading poems in such a way that the listeners/readers are given an opportunity to understand the message being conveyed. It can be defined as the art of effective communication through speech. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, elocution is "the art or skill of a good elocutor; the act of one who elocutes"; "a lecture delivered with effectual skill"; "a poem read with feeling and expression". The term was first used by Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, in his book Of Eloquence (1646). He described himself as "Your Lordship's humble servant, who with all his might would strain a voice to utter eloquent sounds." Eloquence is derived from the Greek word elektron, which means "to speak well" or "to speak wisely". In modern English, the word has come to mean "the ability to communicate knowledgeably and persuasively through spoken words", "the skill of an effective public speaker", and "the quality of being eloquent".