Opening Lines

The opening of your speeches, books, movies are very important to be able to attract your listener's eyes and ears to you. These are the kinds of lines that will not just open the minds of the audience but also their closed hearts. Here are the most interesting opening lines personally picked for your entertainment and study purposes.  


This first opening line came from a TED talk:

"Okay, now I don’t want to alarm anybody in this room, but it’s just come to my attention that the person to your right is a liar. (Laughter) Also, the person to your left is a liar. Also the person sitting in your very seats is a liar. We’re all liars. What I’m going to do today is I’m going to show you what the research says about why we’re all liars, how you can become a liespotter and why you might want to go the extra mile and go from liespotting to truth seeking, and ultimately to trust building."

Patrick Henry was a speaker in a colonist assembled held at the Virginia convention. It was an argument whether to move forces against the British. Here is his opening speech:

"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! — I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

Charles Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities was really popular during the year of 1859. Here is a great line from his book:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair."