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An epitaph is text honoring the dead, most commonly inscribed on a tombstone or plaque. Traditionally an epitaph is in verse, but there are exceptions.Some poets have been known to compose their own epitaphs prior to their death.
1 Famous Epitaphs
O xein', angellein Lakedaimoniois hoti täde/
keimetha tois keinon rhämasi peithomenoi!
Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by
that here, obedient to their laws we lie -- Simonides's epigram at Thermopylae
When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Their Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today
On the World War II War Memorial for the Allied fallen at the battle of Kohima. Attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875 -1958), an English classicist, suggested for the memorial by Major John Etty-Leal, the GSO II of the 2nd Division, another classical scholar.
Kind friend, for Ieusus sake forbear,
To dig the dust enclosed here.
Blest be he that keeps these stones,
But cursed be he that moves my bones. -- (From the grave of William Shakespeare).
Nature, and nature's laws,
Lay hid in night,
God said, let Newton be!
And all was light. -- from the grave of Newton, a poem from Alexander Pope
Stranger by the roadside, do not smile
When you see this grave, though it is only a dog's,
My master wept when I died, and his own hand
Laid me in earth and wrote these lines on my tomb. -- (unknown origin)
Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the earth. -- ( Benito Mussolini)
J. R. R. Tolkien is buried next to his wife, and on their tombstone the names " Beren" and " Lúthien" are engraved, a fact that sheds light on the love story of Beren and Lúthien which is recorded in several versions in his works.
2 See also
- Epitaph is an independent punkPunk can have the following meanings: A follower of punk music fashion or culture. Punk is a set of social and political beliefs, morals and standards that indicate an absolute rejection of conformity. A punk is a combustible material or a piece of kindli record labelA record label is a brand created by companies that specialize in manufacturing, distributing and promoting audio and video recordings, on various formats including compact discs, LPs, DVD-Audio, SACDs, and cassettes. The name derives from the paper label.
- EpitaphEpitaph Epitaph is the master work of Charles Mingus. It is a composition which is more than 4000 measures long, requires two hours to perform and was only compltely discovered during the cataloguing process after his death. With the help of a grant from is a ground breaking work by Charles MingusCharles Mingus ( April 22, 1922 January 5, 1979) was a jazz bassist, composer, bandleader, and occasional pianist. He is also known for his activism regarding racial segregation. Mingus' legacy is enormous: He is generally ranked among the finest jazz com
- An epigraphIn literature, an epigraph is a quotation that is placed at the start of a work or section that expresses in some succinct way an aspect or theme of what is to follow. An epigraph that is not sufficiently relevant is distracting. Epigraphs are welcome at is an inscription on a building or a quotation used to introduce a written work.
- ChronogramA chronogram is a sentence or inscription in which the capital letters, interpreted in Roman numerals, stand for a particular date if rearranged. The word, meaning "time writing" derives from the Greek words chronos ("time") and gramma ("letter"). Longer
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