A eulogy is a speech of praise for someone who has just died. It is often given at a funeral or memorial service for the deceased. More often than not, the person who gives the eulogy is a sibling or close friend.
Tips for a moving eulogy
Highlight important moments
A eulogy can include a condensed history of the deceased. Chose moments in that person’s history that show how they became the person they were and their personal moments of greatness.
Share your memories
Don’t be afraid to share your personal experiences with the deceased. It is through our actions with others that we illustrate who we are. How this person interacted with you shows the audience the kind of person he or she was.
Share favorites
People are often remembered by the things that they loved most. For example, at my father’s celebration of life, my cousin shared my Dad’s favorite joke. If the deceased had a favorite poem, song, quote or other things you can read and share, do it. This helps the audience remember the good times with that person.
Be vulnerable and share from the heart
When giving a eulogy, it is not the time to play your emotions close to the vest. Everyone there is experiencing a range of emotions … share yours and you’ll not only connect more meaningfully with the audience, but you’ll also help everyone there (yourself included) mourn in a positive way.
Be organized
Like with every other type of speech, the eulogy should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Organize all the pieces into a cohesive whole.
Resources for developing a eulogy
Did you miss these?
Here are the previous posts in this “Type of Speeches” series:
- The Keynote Address
- The Training Session
- The Motivational Speech
- The Entertaining Speech
- The Demonstration
- The Information Dump
- The Inspirational Speech
- The Q & A
- The Persuasive Speech
- The Impromptu Speech
- The Acceptance Speech
- The Commencement Speech
The next post in this series is The Toast.