Quotations about Death
Using Quotations in a Speech or Text about Death
As well as keeping your audience engaged, adding quotations to a speech or a text can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Quotations are useful for explaining complex ideas concisely, much in the same way that analogies are used. Additionally, quotations from experts or celebrities can add credibility to your message.Here are some funny and poignant quotations about death. If your speech is serious, do not automatically avoid funny quotations as they can often be the most impactful, forcing your audience into the thinking about the hidden analogous message in your selected quotation.
- "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious." (British actor Peter Ustinov)
- "When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth." (Irish dramatist George Bernard Shaw)
"When I die, I shall be forgotten." Anon
"I intend to live forever, or die trying." Groucho Marx (American film comedian, 1890-1977)
"The idea is to die young as late as possible." Ashley Montagu (British-American anthropologist, 1905-1999)
"Don't send me flowers when I'm dead. If you like me, send them while I'm alive." Brian Clough (English football manager, 1935-2004)
"I'll sleep when I'm dead." Warren Zevon (American rock singer, 1947-2003)
"Death is the cure for all diseases." Thomas Browne (English polymath, 1605-1682)
"I'm gonna live till I die." Frank Sinatra (American singer and actor, 1915-98)
"It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." Woody Allen (American film director, writer, and actor, 1935-)
"I don't want to achieve immortality through my work...I want to achieve it through not dying." Woody Allen (American film director, writer, and actor, 1935-)
"Death is nature's way of telling you to slow down." Anon
"I want to die in my sleep like my grandfather...not screaming and yelling like the passengers on his bus." Anon
"When I came back to Dublin, I was court-martialled in my absence and sentenced to death in my absence, so I said they could shoot me in my absence." Brendan Behan (Irish dramatist, 1923-64)
"I believe in reincarnation, so I've left all my money to myself." Tony Blackburn (English disc jockey, 1943-)
"He'd make a lovely corpse." Charles Dickens (English novelist, 1812-70)
"Some of you may die, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make." Ted Elliott (screenwriter, 1961-)
"In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes." Benjamin Franklin (American politician, inventor, and scientist, 1706-90)
"I detest life-insurance agents; they always argue that I shall some day die, which is not so." Stephen Leacock (Canadian humorist, 1869-1944)
"Death is the most convenient time to tax rich people." David Lloyd George (British Liberal statesman, 1863-1945)
"Either he's dead, or my watch has stopped." Groucho Marx (American film comedian, 1890-1977)
"How can they tell?" Dorothy Parker (American critic and humorist, 1893-1967) on being told that President Calvin Coolidge had died.
Thinking Template for a Speech or Text on Death
Below are 3 funny themes and 3 serious themes related to death. These have been included to help you identify areas to explore.Funny Themes:
- Funny Epitaphs: Humor in the Graveyard
- Share amusing and witty epitaphs found on tombstones, highlighting how people use humor to remember their loved ones and cope with loss.
- Death in Comedy: Finding Humor in the Grim Reaper
- Highlight how comedians and shows have used death as a humorous theme, from Monty Python’s “Dead Parrot” sketch to dark humor in sitcoms.
- Strange Last Words: The Funniest Final Sayings
- Explore some of the funniest and most unusual last words spoken by historical figures, showcasing the humor that can emerge even in final moments.
Serious Themes:
- The Philosophy of Death: Understanding Mortality
- Discuss philosophical perspectives on death, including existential and spiritual views, and how different cultures understand and cope with mortality.
- Grief and Healing: The Journey After Loss
- Address the process of grieving and the various ways people find healing after losing a loved one, highlighting support systems and coping mechanisms.
- End-of-Life Ethics: Debates on Dying with Dignity
- Explore ethical issues surrounding end-of-life decisions, including debates on euthanasia, palliative care, and the right to die with dignity.
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