Even Darkness Must Pass

When I was in eighth grade, I had the most incredible English teacher, that impacted my life in many ways. Unfortunately, the best speech I've ever heard didn't come from him. Well, not exactly. One day my teacher showed us a clip from Lord of the Rings where Sam is talking to Frodo. I thought it was ridiculous at first-- how could I garner anything substantial or English-related for that movie? But I was open-minded, so I listened. 

And then I cried.

I felt so deeply moved by a speech delivered by an actor portraying a fictional character in a fictional world. I was shocked at first, until I realized that the little speech we were listening to was movie gold and history in the making. (And it only makes sense, really, that my favorite speech would come from a movie. Movies are everything to me).

Regardless, after wiping my tears, I went back to read the speech later to discover how and why it impacted me so greatly. Obviously, the content transcends the plot of the film and time itself. Take out the words "Mr. Frodo" and endless inspiration can be derived from the speech and applied to multiple situations. But what really makes this speech stands out isn't the content, but the delivery.

When someone believes in what they're saying, you can hear it in their voice. Sam (or Sean Astin) speaks with such emotion and hope that you cannot help but hang on every word. You feel it in your heart. You want them to keep fighting. You want to keep fighting too.

I've read or watched this speech countless times. But it always gets me right wherever I need it most. That's what makes a great speech. 

Sam: It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they are. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lost of chances of turning back only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something.
Frodo: What are we holding on to Sam?
Sam: That’s there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.

[Video of Sam's Speech]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEMdXhfO-Wk