Charlemagne’s Eulogy
What is an Eulogy? A Eulogy is a speech of high praise made
for someone who as passed away. Generally, eulogies are
made at funerals.
Despite some of the problems with Charlemagne’s empire, he also had many
accomplishments. Using your notes and your book (pg 289-90) your task is to write a
Eulogy for Charlemagne. Imagine that you lived back in 814 AD, the year that
Charlemagne died. You have been given the chance to deliver the eulogy at
Charlemagne’s funeral. A Eulogy also has feeling behind it, and is not just a list of
accomplishments. What did those accomplishments mean to people? What did they
mean to you? Why were his accomplishments important? What kind of legacy will he
leave behind? .........Sometimes eulogies do not go as planned and they are a chance for
people to truly speak their mind about the person..
Below are the requirements for this assignment.
1. Your Eulogy should be a minimum of 1 page
2. You should have a topic sentence.
a. A topic sentence the purpose or main argument of
the paper.
3. The main points of the paper support the topic sentence
4. The facts used in the paper support the main points
5. Use your notes and your book for information. If you use
other outside sources make sure that you cite them at the
end of your Eulogy.
6. Use creativity. It is creativity that is going to separate the
great papers from the good papers. As stated above, this
should be more than a list written in paragraph form.
You should add feelings. Think about what his
accomplishments meant to people. Why was he
considered so great Why might people morn his death?
Why might they not mourn his death?
This assignment is due on ___________________________
Point Value _____ / 25
Charlemagne’s Eulogy Rubric*(Attach to Completed Work)
The Substance of the Work
An exemplary job (20 – 18 points) is when a student has:
• A clear topic sentence and gives strong separate reasons, using specific facts
to support his/her thesis. The student must also be creative and do an
exemplary job describing Charlemagne.
A distinguished job (17 – 16 points) is when a student has:
• A clear topic sentence, but one of the reasons is not as clear or as strong as
the exemplary essay. The student must also be creative and accurately
describe Charlemagne.
A novice job(15 – 14 points) is when a student has:
• A topic sentence, but it may not be as clear as the exemplary or distinguished
essays. The student needs more specific facts to support his/her opinions.
Some important details about Charlemagne are missing.
A beginning job (13 – 12 points) is when a student has:
• A weak topic sentence The essay may contain facts, but the facts don’t
support the main points or they may be incorrect.
A job that misses the point (11 – 0 points) is when a student has:
• May have a topic sentence, but that’s it. The facts fail to address the main
idea of the topic sentence and the eulogy is confusing.
The Mechanics of the Work
1. Are there spelling or grammar errors?
2. Does the student capitalize those words that need to be capitalized?
3. Does the student write in complete sentences and not have any run-on
sentences or fragments?
4. Does the student have a separate introductory paragraph stating the thesis?
5. Does the student start a new paragraph every time he/she states a new idea?
6. Does the student have a conclusion paragraph at the end?
The Substance of the Work
___________ / 20!
The Mechanics of the Work ___________ / 5
Total Points
________ / 25
!
Comments:
Instructions for Writing a Great Eulogy
• STEP 1: Talk to the family or friends of the deceased. Write down details of the person's
life, major awards or recognition he or she received, names of family members, and
special memories that family members and friends share.
• STEP 2: Try to find a theme or ethic that defined the person's life and build the eulogy
around it. For example, was family most important to the deceased? Did he or she
have a great sense of humor?
• STEP 3: Begin at the beginning. Most eulogies begin with the departed person's birth and
give a brief outline of his or her life. Include anecdotes, memories and details that
capture the person's spirit.
• STEP 4: Try to quote a memorable statement made by the person or relay specific
incidents that bring him or her to life for family and friends. Anything that paints a
portrait of the individual is perfect.
• STEP 5: Infuse your eulogy with a little humor, especially if the deceased was a jokester
or had a good sense of humor. Keep all humorous references appropriate to the
occasion.
• STEP 6: Be as brief as you can while still doing justice to the life of the deceased. Brevity
is the key to a well-received eulogy.
Instructions for Writing a Great Euology
• STEP 1: Talk to the family or friends of the deceased. Write down details of the person's
life, major awards or recognition he or she received, names of family members, and
special memories that family members and friends share.
• STEP 2: Try to find a theme or ethic that defined the person's life and build the eulogy
around it. For example, was family most important to the deceased? Did he or she
have a great sense of humor?
• STEP 3: Begin at the beginning. Most eulogies begin with the departed person's birth and
give a brief outline of his or her life. Include anecdotes, memories and details that
capture the person's spirit.
• STEP 4: Try to quote a memorable statement made by the person or relay specific
incidents that bring him or her to life for family and friends. Anything that paints a
portrait of the individual is perfect.
• STEP 5: Infuse your eulogy with a little humor, especially if the deceased was a jokester
or had a good sense of humor. Keep all humorous references appropriate to the
occasion.
• STEP 6: Be as brief as you can while still doing justice to the life of the deceased. Brevity
is the key to a well-received eulogy.