How to Write a Eulogy

Create a touching sentiment that covers the meaningfulness of a person's life after he or she has passed away. While the term eulogy carries with it a significant weight, it doesn't always have to be so. Follow these steps and you can write a eulogy that contains everything great that made up the life of the deceased.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Gather all of the correct information about the person's life. Make sure you have accurate dates for birth, marriage(s) and how many children he had, including both those who have also passed, and surviving family members.

2. Think about the way whomever you are talking about spoke. Capturing her essence in your eulogy will make her character come to life.

3. Place all of your thoughts together in a theme. Help those celebrating the life of those who have passed by conducting your eulogy in a way that bonds all of the common elements.

4. Mark your words on note cards, with 1 brief idea for each card. Then organize your thoughts into a consistent, logical order.

5. Write a eulogy in drafts. Use a computer if you can to speed up the editing process and make further changes faster.

6. Consider making the eulogy a celebration of the life the person led, not a somber mourning of their passing. Keeping in good taste, insert a lighthearted story or joke reminiscent of the person you are honoring.

7. Practice your eulogy, make sure you know it front and back, and commit the entire draft to memory. If you get flustered, refer to the note cards, but don't read directly from them.

Tips & Warnings

• Get a friend or relative to stand by to take over, if you are unable to continue during your eulogy. It is an emotional time and even the most prepared speaker can get choked up.
• Pay the most attention to your beginning and ending.

[dorigillman]

on 10/18/2009 good tips although you could check the first sentence. it is not grammatically correct.