What do you call writing in memory of someone who has passed away?
I was recently invited to contribute a piece of writing to commemorate a friend who has passed away. My writing, along with others, were compiled into a book that was passed out at the funeral; these were memorial tributes "in memoriam" of my friend, some prose and some poetry, but certainly not "obituaries." Is there a better word or phrase to refer to this type of writing than "eulogy," which, as far as I know, generally refers to a praise-filled speech?
Eulogy: A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, especially a tribute to someone who has just died (Source: Oxford Dictionaries)
EDIT: These writings range in tone from elegiac to eulogizing, which is why I hesitate to use the word "eulogy" as a blanket term.
Solution 1:
I believe you are speaking of an elegy, or elegiac writings:
a sad poem or song : a poem or song that expresses sorrow for someone who is dead
[Merriam-Webster]
Also consider lamentation:
an expression of great sorrow or deep sadness
[Merriam-Webster]
If you were attempting to find a word that fits all of these different types of writings, you might generally classify them as commemorative:
intended to honor an important event or person from the past
[Merriam-Webster]
Solution 2:
Commemorative is best. It is like a small biography. I am writing several paragraphs about my mother's life as a handout. I like this term better than eulogy for this. Her life speaks for itself.
Solution 3:
piece of writing
I'd say it counts as a collection of Eulogies.
Solution 4:
The book of condolence(s), also called "condolence register", contains condolence messages.
Condolence definition (Cambridge dictionaries online): sympathy and sadness for the family or close friends of a person who has recently died, or an expression of this, especially in written form.