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How to Write a Eulogy To open a eulogy, one should address their relation to the deceased (i.e. family member, co-worker, friend) and often use the pronoun “I” to establish this relationship for all of those who listen/read the eulogy. This relationship, along with the introduction, sets the tone for the rest of the eulogy. Often times the eulogizer reflects on how they met the deceased, how they came to know of the deceased, or even mention the greater legacy that this person left behind. Style of eulogy can vary greatly depending on who the deceased is and what the eulogizer’s relationship is to the deceased. Some, such as Cher’s for Sonny Bono, are both nostalgic and hilariously funny and entertaining. Others, such as Fidel Castro’s for Che Guvarra, are tributes to national heroes and warriors and have a tone of honor and pride. Still others, such as John Champion’s eulogy to Stanley Kubrick, are full of admiration for someone for their talent. This style is less personal and emphasizes the deceased’s life work. Accordingly, the vocabulary and formality both depend on the relationship between the eulogizer and eulogized and is also dependent on who the deceased was in life. The structure of a eulogy also varies to some degree, although a eulogy is organized into paragraphs. Eulogies can be organized in several common ways depending on the tone and message that the eulogizer wishes to send to the audience. Often times people will structure a eulogy chronologically (life history), which is a method that begins with the deceased’s childhood and works through the course of their life. Conversely, people also start with the present and work backwards in “reverse chronological order.” People also tend to structure eulogies around shared memories, which can be very personal. Also common is a tribute or legacy, this is especially common for newspaper obituaries and it draws attention to the highlights, accomplishments, and awards in that person’s life. Special focus falls on the deceased’s achievements and endeavors and may also look at the person’s personal legacy – the family and children left behind. It is also common that eulogizers focus their speech around three main points. Eulogizers simply mention these three main points in the introduction, go through each main point in the body of the speech and then summarize each point to sum it up at the end. Finally, eulogies can be structured around a special theme that describes how the person was in life. This theme can surface over and over throughout the speech. It seems rather standard in all eulogies to establish your relationship with the deceased, use one of the above mentioned structures, and conclude by looking to the future in some manner (depending on the way in which the deceased passed on). For instance, if the deceased died in a violent and abrupt way, the eulogizer might call for a lesson to be learned from the tragedy. If the person passed from old age, the eulogizer might mention all the people that this person touched in their long life, and how his legacy will continue in all of his children, grandchildren etc. The purpose of a eulogy is to commemorate the life of someone who has died. As mentioned previously, the mode of this commemoration is dependent upon the eulogizer’s relationship to the deceased, who the deceased was, and how the deceased came to pass. Eulogies give people the opportunity to share their memories and thoughts about the deceased with other people who knew the person or knew of them. It is also a final public goodbye to the deceased. A eulogizer is often times not only addressing the family, friends, and loved ones of the deceased but sometimes will slip into the use of “you,” speaking directly to the deceased. Famous eulogies are posted on the internet for the entire world to see. The use of tone, once again, is dependent upon who the deceased was, the eulogizer’s relationship to the deceased, and the way in which the deceased came to pass. For example, someone who lived a very long life and died of natural causes may have a celebratory tone to their eulogy. Someone whose life was cut short by a bullet, or who committed suicide may have a very somber and saddening tone to their eulogy. No two eulogies are exactly the same, but there are general similarities. Often the language of eulogies is personal, nostalgic, affectionate, compassionate, and whimsical.