What exactly is the Cenotaph?
The Cenotaph is a poignant and powerful symbol of remembrance in the UK. The word itself comes from the Greek words "kenos" meaning empty, and "taphos" meaning tomb. So, literally, it's an empty tomb. This is significant because the Cenotaph doesn't contain any bodies; it's a symbolic monument dedicated to all those who lost their lives in war. The most famous Cenotaph is the one in Whitehall, London, which was originally erected as a temporary structure for the 1919 peace celebrations after World War I. However, it became such a powerful symbol of national mourning that a permanent stone version was commissioned and unveiled in 1920. You'll find similar, smaller Cenotaphs in many towns and cities across the UK, all serving as focal points for Remembrance Day services and a place for people to pay their respects to the fallen. Therefore, the Cenotaph is definitively a war memorial, not a flower, church, or theatre.
Associate the word Cenotaph with 'central' and 'pathos', as it stands centrally in many UK cities, evoking emotions or 'pathos' as a symbol of remembrance for the heroes of war.