A funeral oration, also known as a eulogy, is a speech given in honor of a deceased person during their funeral or memorial service. The purpose of a funeral oration is to celebrate the life of the person who has passed away and to offer words of comfort and support to those who are grieving.
The speaker of a funeral oration should aim to strike a balance between honoring the deceased and acknowledging the pain and sadness of the grieving process. It is important to focus on the positive aspects of the person's life, highlighting their accomplishments, virtues, and positive impact on others. At the same time, it is okay to acknowledge the loss and grief that everyone is feeling.
When preparing a funeral oration, it can be helpful to gather stories and memories from friends and family members about the person who has passed away. This can give a more well-rounded and personal perspective on the person's life. It is also important to consider the audience and the tone of the event, as well as the relationship of the speaker to the deceased.
In addition to sharing memories and celebrating the life of the deceased, a funeral oration can also offer words of comfort and support to those who are grieving. This can include discussing the person's belief in an afterlife or offering words of hope and encouragement. It is important to be sensitive to the audience's needs and to offer words that are comforting and uplifting.
Overall, a funeral oration is a way to honor and celebrate the life of a loved one who has passed away. It is an opportunity to pay tribute to their memory and to offer comfort and support to those who are grieving.
"Ozymandias" is a poem written by Percy Bysshe Shelley in 1817. It is a sonnet that tells the story of a traveler who encounters the ruins of a statue in the desert. The statue is of a king named Ozymandias, who was once a powerful ruler but is now nothing more than a forgotten relic.
The poem begins with the traveler describing the scene that he has come upon: "I met a traveler from an antique land / Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone / Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand, / Half sunk, a shattered visage lies" (lines 1-4). The statue's legs and face are all that remain, and they are lying in the sand, covered in dust and debris.
The traveler then goes on to describe the inscription that he found on the base of the statue. It reads: "My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: / Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!" (lines 9-10). These words show the pride and hubris of Ozymandias, who believed that his works would last forever and that other rulers would look upon them with despair.
However, as the traveler notes, the reality is quite different. The statue is now nothing more than a "colossal wreck" (line 11), and the kingdom that Ozymandias ruled over has long since vanished. The traveler concludes by saying: "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay / Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare / The lone and level sands stretch far away" (lines 12-14).
The poem "Ozymandias" serves as a reminder of the fleeting nature of power and the ultimate insignificance of even the greatest rulers. It shows that, no matter how grand and mighty they may seem in their own time, all will eventually be reduced to dust and forgotten. The message of the poem is that even the most powerful and influential people are ultimately powerless against the passage of time.
In conclusion, "Ozymandias" is a poignant and thought-provoking poem that encourages us to consider the impermanence of our own lives and legacies. It reminds us that, no matter how much we may strive for greatness and leave our mark on the world, we are all ultimately subject to the same forces of time and decay.