Best Eulogies ever Written | Example Funeral Speeches

In every era, a few funeral speeches rise above all others and speak to the human heart. Historians, writers, and ordinary readers still study these words because they combine clear language with timeless lessons about loss, duty, and love. Below you will find five of the best eulogies ever written, chosen for their lyrical power, cultural impact, and enduring relevance.

1. Pericles’ Funeral Oration (431 BCE)

“The whole earth is the sepulcher of famous men.”

Setting. Athens had just lost its first soldiers in the Peloponnesian War. Pericles spoke in the public cemetery, turning a burial into a civic lesson.
What he said. He praised democracy, equal justice, and love of city. The speech links private grief to public duty, so listeners feel pride as well as loss.
Why it still moves us.

Shows how simple words can honor both the fallen and the living.
Gives every citizen a role in keeping freedom alive.
Offers clear models of courage, generosity, and vigilance. uvm.edu

2. Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (1863)

“The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here.”

Setting. The Civil War raged on; Lincoln spoke for two minutes at a new military cemetery.
What he said. He redefined the war as a test of liberty “of the people, by the people, for the people.” His lean 272-word style shows respect for the dead and resolve for the future.
Why it still moves us.

Makes national purpose clear in plain speech.
Turns grief into a “new birth of freedom.”
Proves that brevity can be unforgettable. voicesofdemocracy.umd.edu

3. Ted Kennedy on Robert F. Kennedy (1968)

“He saw wrong and tried to right it.”

Setting. St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, three days after RFK’s assassination.
What he said. Ted called his brother “a good and decent man,” then listed acts of service—fighting poverty, healing pain, opposing war. The lines gave a grieving nation a clear moral path.
Why it still moves us.

Connects private memories to public action.
Uses rhythmic repetition for comfort.
Invites listeners to finish a fallen leader’s work. en.wikipedia.org

4. Earl Spencer on Diana, Princess of Wales (1997)

“Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty.”

Setting. Westminster Abbey, watched live by two billion viewers.
What he said. Diana’s brother praised her humanity, condemned press intrusion, and vowed to guide her sons with love, not pressure. The frank tone shocked the British establishment yet matched global sorrow.
Why it still moves us.

Speaks up for the vulnerable against power.
Balances anger with deep affection.
Reminds mourners to defend the living legacy of the dead. nationalworld.com

5. Mona Simpson’s “A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs” (2011)

“Love was his supreme virtue, his god of gods.”

Setting. Stanford Memorial Church, three weeks after Jobs’s passing.
What she said. Simpson told family stories that showed Jobs as brother, dreamer, perfectionist, and husband. She mixed humor with insight, describing how he kept designing—even in hospital.
Why it still moves us.

Gives a tech icon human warmth.
Shows how work, art, and family interweave
Ends with Jobs’s final look—“OH WOW. OH WOW. OH WOW.”—a simple call to awe. dpaq.de