Writing a eulogy is far more difficult than writing just any old speech because you have to make it personal to those who knew the dearly departed. There are many different kinds of eulogies and no one of them is right or best - it's up to you. Just remember to make it personally relevant so that the audience can relate.
1. Where To Begin?
In order to write a good eulogy, you will want to start by thinking about what it is that you want to say. Chances are, if you have been tasked with writing the eulogy you were very close to the deceased and know them very well. You should think about what that person held as important in life, what they chose as their profession, and how they affected the world around them.
2. Decide On A Tone
It doesn't matter what theme you end up using as long as it is done with the utmost of respect to both those in attendance and the dearly departed. Commonly used themes include the solemn speech, a storytelling, or a comical musing. You should base the tone of the speech to suit the personality of the person the eulogy is for - a eulogy with jokes might be appropriate for a comedian or entertainer, and mentioning a specific charity seems appropriate for persons that devoted much of their life to a specific cause.
3. Appeal To The Audience
Many people who write a eulogy forget that the eulogy is not just about how the person affected you, but how they affected everyone. Try and see if you can work your speech to help those feeling a loss in their lives move on a little easier.
4. Organize Everything
One secret to writing sucessful eulogies is to, conversely, make sure the eulogy meets the most basic criteria. Your eulogy should, at the very least, go over some ideas and memories about the deceaced as well as presenting that information in a way that is coherent.
5. What You Say Is Just As Important As How You Say It
An important thing to note when writing is to make sure your points connect in a logical order as you flow through your eulogy. Because eulogies are read aloud during funerals, you will want to rehearse a few times beforehand. Be sure to practice your delivery as sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it. |
