Plan Your Epitaph

Learning TargetSuccess Criteria

Learning Target Use precise words and phrases to

capture and convey experiences. Write for a range of specific tasks,

purposes and audiences.

Success Criteria You will create your own epitaph and

produce a tombstone for our graveyard.

What is an epitaph?

Two-line, rhyming poem in praise of a deceased person.

Examples: "Here lies the body of Richard Hind,

who was neither ingenious, sober or kind."

Poet H.J. Daniel's epitaph for his wife: "To follow you I'm not content.

How do I know which way you went?"

Why do you need an epitaph?

Because, if you do nothing, someone else will put your name and dates on your gravestone. If you are terribly unlucky, they'll add something like "Dearly missed" or "Beloved Cousin" or maybe even worse.

 Don't give up your power over the most

important words of your life. Take control: it's your life, it's your death, it's your stone -- YOU say something!

What kind of stone will you have?

Will your gravestone be a plain stone?Or will it be a PRECIOUS stone?

It's not a hard choice. It only takes a well crafted epitaph to make a headstone sparkle like a diamond.

And the real kicker is -- While a diamond may be forever,

a 24-carat epitaph is immortality itself!

Getting started

Our first epitaph will contain the words,

"Here lies ---- , who ---- ." Second line rhymes with the first.

Try to keep both lines as equal in length as possible (count the syllables).

Choose an activity that you like to do and then look at all the words that rhyme.

My attempt at my epitaph

Choose an activity that you like to do and then look at all the words that rhyme. Ultimate Frisbee: busy, hissy, dizzy, see, me, tea, glee.. Bake: sake, cake, rake, fake, make, take, lake…

Our first epitaph will contain the words, "Here lies ---- , who ---- ."

Second line rhymes with the first.

Here lies Mrs. Paul, who played too much Frisbee,

Years of chasing ‘round discs made her go dizzy.

Try to keep both lines as equal in length as possible (count the syllables).

More examples

Here lies Colby; he smoked a whole pack.The doctors could have saved him if his lungs weren't so black.

Here lies Guy who of computers had no fright.Until the day he died from a computer megabyte.

Expectations Write a rough draft of your epitaph

This is first and foremost a fun thing: you can be flippant, you can be bawdy, romantic, heroic, or saintly.It's your life, after all.

Show Mrs. Paul your epitaph for her approval. Then she will give you a tombstone to create. Put your name on the blank line Write your epitaph below the line Put a symbol that represents you above your name. When you’re finished, save to your h-drive. We will

print the tombstones on Monday.

When you’re done

Try a couple more – they can be about anything, if you write about another person, be sure it’s not mean – mean people stink!

Here lies English who promised a vision.But all the kids decided to stick with division.Jeanne J.

Here lies my brother who was young but not adorable.I'm really glad that he's not restorable.Josh B.

Here lies James who had a real bad day.When he was run over by a fat man riding in a sleigh.Kevin R.

Here lies Matt who really hated school.He fell asleep in class and drowned in his drool.Will H.