An
epitaph (from
Greek epitaphios "a funeral oration" from ἐπί
epi "at, over" and τάφος
taphos "tomb") is a short text honoring a deceased person. Strictly speaking, it refers to text that is inscribed on a tombstone or plaque, but it may also be used in a figurative sense. Some epitaphs are specified by the person themselves before their death, while others are chosen by those responsible for the burial. An epitaph may be in poem verse;
poets have been known to compose their own epitaphs prior to their death, as
William Shakespeare did.