Poetic Form
Epitaph
A short inscription written in memory of someone who has died.
LengthVery shortA couplet, quatrain or sentence
SubjectA life rememberedWritten for the dead
Opening"Here lies..."A classic way to begin
ToneGrave to wryTribute or gentle joke
About the Epitaph
An epitaph is a brief commemorative poem composed for the dead, historically an inscription on a tombstone or memorial, more broadly any short verse summing up a life. The form ranges from solemn tribute to mordant epigram.
Structure
Typically very short, a couplet, quatrain, or single sentence. Often opens with "Here lies" or addresses a passing reader. Style varies from grave to mock-grave, and the line between epitaph and epigram is often deliberately blurred.
An epitaph has no fixed pattern. It is defined by its purpose: a short verse in memory of someone, often written as if carved on their grave.
A Short History
- Ancient GreeceVerse inscriptions mark graves across the Greek world.
- Ancient RomeTombstone verses speak to passing travelers.
- 1616Ben Jonson publishes On My First Son.
- 1700sPope and Gay write famous epitaphs, some mock-serious.
- TodayStill carved on headstones and written as wry poems.
Famous Epitaphs
- 01"On My First Son"Ben Jonson
- 02"Upon a Child That Died"Robert Herrick
- 03"My Own Epitaph"John Gay
Questions About the Epitaph
The things people ask most, answered in a sentence or two.
An epitaph is a short piece of writing in memory of someone who has died, traditionally carved on a tombstone. As a poem, it sums up a life in a few lines.
Short enough to carve in stone: usually a couplet, a quatrain or a single sentence.
Yes. Many poets wrote witty or mock-serious epitaphs, sometimes for themselves, like John Gay's "My Own Epitaph".