How to Write a Eulogy Writing a eulogy is important in order to pay tribute to a deceased loved one. A eulogy is often associated with an obituary or an elegy. An obituary is a concise declaration of a person’s death and is usually placed in a newspaper. An elegy is a more creative expression of a person’s passing in the form of a song or poem. However, a eulogy is a speech that is generally given during a funeral or memorial service to honor the departed. Although eulogies can be recited in celebrations such as graduations or birthdays, they are most commonly given to honor someone’s passing. A close family member or friend is usually selected to give a eulogy during a funeral service. Like all other written testimonials, a eulogy requires planning and proofreading in order to make sure it properly commemorates a person’s life.
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Brainstorming Ideas The first step you should take after you find out that you will be in charge of reciting a eulogy for a recently deceased loved one is to brainstorm. Start by thinking of the overall direction you would like your eulogy to go, and then think about the specific topics you would like to include. When writing a eulogy you should take time to think about what the person means to you and how he or she affected everyone else. Eulogies often include references to childhood memories, mentions of favorite traits and your last words to a deceased loved one. After you have decided on the specific events you would like to include and the tone, you should construct a first draft. A draft should include three parts: an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
Editing Mistakes After you have written a first draft of your eulogy, it is time to perfect it by editing any mistakes that you might not have noticed. Proofreading a eulogy is vital in order to check for grammatical and sentence structure errors that can negatively affect how a eulogy will sound while being recited in front of a large group of people. You should also consider allowing a close family relative or friend to review the eulogy and provide you with some feedback. Oftentimes, writers cannot identify their own mistakes, especially when it comes to pieces that require a lot of emotional strength to complete. Once you have made your own edits and gathered feedback from loved ones, you should write a final draft of the eulogy.
Memorizing and Reciting You can choose to recite a eulogy either by memorizing it entirely or simply reading it aloud. If you choose to memorize your speech, you should start by memorizing sentence by sentence. It is also important to memorize a eulogy in a monotone voice in order to help you read it in the most natural way possible during the funeral proceedings. If you choose to read the eulogy out loud, you can do so off of a piece of paper or flashcards. It is important that you have a good understanding of what you will be talking about so that you can avoid looking down at the paper too often. The keys to a good eulogy delivery are to speak slowly, to enunciate, to make eye contact, and to project your voice so that every relative of the deceased can mourn through your memories and words.