epitaph

Epitaph Definition

An epitaph (EP-ah-taf) is a short statement, often a poem or other brief written inscription, that commemorates or memorializes a deceased person.

The word epitaph was first used in English in the mid-14th century, meaning “inscription on a tomb or monument.” It derived from the Old French epitaphe through the Medieval Latin epitaphium, meaning “funeral oriation, eulogy” and the Greek epitaphion, “a funeral oration.”

Epitaph and Related Terms

The term epitaph is frequently confused with other similar-sounding words, such as epigram, eulogy, and epithet. Epitaph bears some similarities with these terms, but each one has its own distinct meaning.

Elegy

An elegy is a type of poem, usually written as a lament for the dead, that contains serious reflection and a somber or pessimistic tone. Elegies can be written in response to the death of a person, many people, an animal, or an era. This term is most likely confused with epitaphs as both revolve around commemorating or memorializing the deceased. Sometimes excerpts from elegies may be used as epitaphs.

Epigram

Like epitaphs, epigrams are short and frequently written as poems. An epigram, however, is a pithy saying that’s primarily expressed in an amusing or satirical way and meant to reveal an entertaining truth about the world or human nature.

Epigraph

These are brief quotations that open a work of literature. Unlike epitaphs, epigraphs have no commemorative quality. Epigraphs were originally inscribed on buildings or statues, which may be a reason why they’re frequently confused with epitaphs.

Epithet

This is a descriptive phrase or adjective used to express a quality characteristic of the person or entity referenced. One encounters epithets frequently in epic poems such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, where, for instance, the Greek goddess Athena is referred to as “grey-eyed Athena” or “the grey-eyed goddess.”

Eulogy

A eulogy is a speech or piece of writing meant to praise of a person or thing. Eulogies are generally composed to honor someone who has recently died or perhaps retired from a job or public office. The most common usage of the term refers a speech given at a funeral about the deceased. Eulogies are most likely confused with epitaphs because both involve commemorating the deceased; however, eulogies are generally recited, while epitaphs are engraved or inscribed.

Epitaph’s Usage as Tombstone Engravings

Epitaphs are most frequently encountered as short texts written on plaques or engraved on tombstones to memorialize the deceased. Epitaphs can be composed by the deceased before their deaths or chosen by the bereaved. These commemorative statements can be brief poems or short prose statements, frequently containing expressions of love or respect. They can also include records of the family, perhaps statements about the deceased’s career, or even warnings to the reader about their own mortality and the fleeting nature of life.

Epitaphs in Pop Culture

Many famous people’s epitaphs are chosen to commemorate or memorialize the work they did while living.

The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr.’s epitaph is taken from his famous “I Have a Dream” speech:

Free at Last, Free at Last,

 Thank God Almighty

I’m Free at Last

Famous voice actor Mel Blanc, who brought to life multiple Looney Tunes characters, had the famous line from Bugs Bunny, his most beloved animated character, inscribed as his tombstone’s epitaph: That’s all folks!

Comedian Rodney Dangerfield chose an epitaph that mirrored his self-deprecating sense of humor. In life, the comedian was famous for his phrase “I get no respect!” and in death, his tombstone reads “There goes the neighborhood.”

Examples of Epitaphs in Literature

1. F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

The epitaph inscribed on the tombstone for writers F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda is taken from the last line of Fitzgerald’s famous novel:

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.

This is an appropriate epitaph for Fitzgerald, though one might wonder how his deceased wife Zelda, herself a writer, would’ve felt about her tombstone containing an excerpt from her husband’s literary work rather than her own.

2. John Keats

The Romantic-era poet John Keats chose his own epitaph, asking his friend Joseph Severn to ensure that, rather than his name, his tombstone contain the line:

Here lies one whose name was writ in water.

This derives from Beaumont and Fletcher’s play Philaster; the line was originally written as “All your better deeds Shall be in water writ, but this in Marble.”

3. T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets

Famous Modernist poet T.S. Eliot’s epitaph reads:

In my beginning is my end…In my end is my beginning.

This line is taken from his poem “East Coker,” which is one of the four poems in Four Quartets.

4. Dorothy Parker

Humor writer and notoriously witty Dorothy Parker’s epitaph is simply:

Excuse my dust.

This contains the same dry humor that made her famous in her New Yorker articles and short stories such as “Big Blonde.”

Further Resources on Epitaphs

This website provides a list of many famous literary and historical epitaphs.

The New England Historical Society published an interesting article about the epitaphs from old New England graveyards.

The website Mental Floss compiled a list of “29 Unforgettable Epitaphs” accompanied by photographs.

Related Terms

• Epigram
• Epithet
• Eulogy