A funeral poem can be uplifting, tear-jerking or unlock a range of emotions at once. Poems can provide comfort at the most difficult time by allowing you to express your feelings or describe your loved one as they were in life.
Below are some funeral poems you may like to consider for your loved one's funeral or your own.
You can read any poem at a funeral. You may want to take inspiration from some of the examples below, or you may even like to write one yourself.
The most meaningful poem could be sad, solemn, cheery or even funny. The choice is completely yours and your family's.
There's also no set length for a funeral poem. Some people prefer short funeral poems, others prefer something a little longer. The only thing to consider is how long the funeral service is.
For example, if you're having a short service, you may want to keep individual readings shorter so there's time to incorporate everything you'd like. Have a chat with your chosen funeral provider to get their guidance if you're not sure.
In sad and tough times, you can find comfort in words that mirror and express your pain. Connecting with your emotions can make you feel a little bit better.
Two of the most popular funeral poems in the UK let you do exactly that.
These poems remind us that love doesn't go away, even when someone we care about is not with us anymore.
Christina Rossetti's popular funeral poem is an inspirational piece about bidding farewell to a loved one and forging ahead with life without guilt.
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
This celebrated poem by W. H. Auden expresses how grief is all-encompassing and the isolation that can be felt when normal life goes on despite a deep loss.
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message 'He is Dead'.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Crematorium Assistant at Aberystwyth Crematorium
"Having been involved at Aberystwyth Crematorium since its opening in 1994, I have heard a great many traditional and contemporary poems being recited during services. Funeral poems can have an incredible ability to encapsulate the essence of a person’s life and offer solace and understanding at the most difficult time. The words provide a comfortable shoulder to lean on and can help with the mourning process by turning it into a poignant celebration of the individual’s life journey."
A short funeral poem or excerpt from a longer piece of writing will take less time to read. This could suit a shorter funeral service or reduce the anxiety you might feel about standing up in front of friends and family.
In just a few lines, these two beautiful, yet short funeral poems can provide solace and comfort for every single person attending the funeral.
Though they are short, they are mighty in their own way, expressing words that many of us can resonate with and relate to at the most difficult of times.
A snippet from HW Longfellow's longer poem, Resignation.
We see but dimly through the mists and vapours;
Amid these earthly damps
What seem to us but sad, funeral tapers
May be heaven's distant lamps
A poem by Karen White from her book Pieces of the Heart.
If tears could build a stairway,
And memories a lane,
I’d walk right up to heaven
And bring you home again.
Some funeral poems can make us weep and for many, that's what we want from a funeral poem.
But for others, something more uplifting, upbeat or even funny is more to their taste. So below are two examples of wonderfully, uplifting funeral poems that might resonate with your heart.
The first by the legendary Robert Burns eulogises his friend, before ending the poem with two beautifully uplifting lines. While the equally legendary Robert Louis Stevenson's poem offers a truly uplifting, bright perspective on the end of life.
Robert Burns's poem is written about his great friend William Muir.
An honest man here lies at rest,
As e’er God with His image blest:
The friend of man, the friend of truth;
The friend of age, and guide of youth:
Few hearts like his, with virtue warm’d,
Few heads with knowledge so inform’d:
If there’s another world, he lives in bliss;
If there is none, he made the best of this.
The great Robert Louis Stevenson's poem expresses end of life peace.
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.
Often, the most memorable poems from a funeral are the ones that make you smile and laugh. They suit a person who had a joy for life and a great sense of humour.
That's why funny funeral poems are so effective, and why many people lean towards having something slightly jovial at their funeral.
A funny funeral poem is the perfect accompaniment for those looking to have a more celebratory, alternative funeral, or a memorial service after a direct cremation.
A poem written by the comedian Sean Hughes.
I want to be cremated
I know how boring funerals can be
I want people to gather
meet new people
have a laugh, a dance, meet a loved one.
A traditional Japanese death poem written by Moriya Sen’an.
Bury me when I die
beneath a wine barrel
in a tavern.
With luck
the cask will leak.
Many popular funeral poems have religious references. This may be a subtle nod to life after death or specific mentions of heaven or God.
But there are plenty of non religious funeral poems out there, with no reference to any religious deity or spiritual concept.
If you've chosen to have a humanist celebrant or ceremony, religious references are unlikely to be allowed as part of the service so poetry choices should be non religious.
Margaret Mead's poem, often used as a eulogy.
To the living, I am gone,
To the sorrowful, I will never return,
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
Remember me in your heart:
Your thoughts, and your memories,
Of the times we loved,
The times we cried,
The times we fought,
The times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
Linda Ellis' poem focuses on the importance of living life to the full.
I read of a man who stood to speak at a funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the tombstone from the beginning... to the end.
He noted that first came the date of birth and spoke of the following date with tears, but said what mattered most of all was the dash between those years.
For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth and now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth.
For it matters not, how much we own, the cars... the house... the cash. What matters is how we lived and loved and how we spend our dash.
So, think about this long and hard; are there things you’d like to change? For you never know how much time is left that still can be rearranged.
To be less quick to anger and show appreciation more and love the people in our lives like we’ve never loved before.
If we treat each other with respect and more often wear a smile… remembering that this special dash might only last a little while.
So, when your eulogy is being read, with your life’s actions to rehash, would you be proud of the things they say about how you lived your dash?
If religion and spirituality are important to you or your lost loved one, you can choose poems that reflect your values and beliefs.
Religious funeral poems explore themes of eternal life, God's salvation and reuniting with lost loved ones after death.
This can help to lessen the loneliness you may feel and bring you comfort.
From the Old Testament, psalm 23 is one of the most well-known psalms and is a message about trusting God.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Lord Alfred Tennyson's poem is written about his impending death.
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
Some poets throughout history have penned funeral poems for their fathers or a funeral eulogy for their Dad.
Below are two of our favourites. The first by Kelly Roper is a humorous, modern take on the 21st-century father, which won't be perfect for every father, but will be for some.
Helen Lowrie Marshall's poem is written from the father's perspective, about the afterglow that their life leaves once they are here no more.
Kelly Roper's lighthearted poem will encapsulate many fathers' personalities.
Oh dear, if you’re reading this right now,
I must have given up the ghost.
I hope you can forgive me for being
Such a stiff and unwelcoming host.
Just talk amongst yourself my friends,
And share a toast or two.
For I am sure you will remember well
How I loved to drink with you.
Don’t worry about mourning me,
I was never easy to offend.
Feel free to share a story at my expense
And we’ll have a good laugh at the end.
Helen Lowrie Marshall's poem celebrates the presence of a loved one after they have departed.
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.
Funeral poems for mums are just as common as funeral poems for dads and can hit equally as hard.
We've picked two poems below which are very different both in length and style. David Harkins' poem is just a short four-liner but is no less impactful.
Michael Ashby's longer poem takes a little bit of care and time to tell its story and encapsulates the British mother in a way only a poem about English breakfast tea can.
David Harkins' short funeral poem is especially associated with saying goodbye to a mum because it was read at the funeral of the Queen Mother.
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left
This beautiful, upbeat poem by Michael Ashby is perfect for mothers who loved tea.
Death is too negative for me
So I'll be popping off for a long cup of tea
Do splash out on two bags in the pot
And for my god's sake keep the water hot
Please pick the biggest mug you can find
Size really does matter at this time
I'll pass on the lapsang with that souchong
And that stuff with bergamot
And stick with my favourite friend
You know the English breakfast blend
Breakfast! thanks for reminding me
There's just time before I fail
To stand on ceremony
Two rashers of best back, Should keep me
Smelling sweet up the smokestack
So, mother, put the kettle on for me
It's time, mother, for my long cup of tea
Song lyrics and funeral poems have a lot in common. They both contain words deliberately chosen to have significance and meaning. The rhythm and rhyme of song lyrics and poems are also alike.
You may find there are no poems, either traditional or modern, that capture the essence of a loved one or the sentiment you're trying to convey. A song lyric could say it better whether it's a favourite tune or a well-known classic like the below examples.
This famous song by Elton John was originally written as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. It went on to become a famous farewell with updated lyrics following the tragic death of Princess Diana.
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind:
Never fading with the sunset
When the rain set in.
And your footsteps will always fall here,
Among England's greenest hills;
Your candle's burned out long before
Your legend ever will.
This popular song by The Beatles was written by Paul McCartney and inspired by his late mother who died when he was 14.
And when the broken hearted people living in the world agree
There will be an answer, let it be
For though they may be parted, there is still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be.
And when the night is cloudy there is still a light that shines on me
Shinin' until tomorrow, let it be
I wake up to the sound of music, Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be.
If you can't find a poem that perfectly expresses what you want to say, you could write your own instead. Here are some tips to get you started.
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Get our guideLooking for more? Below are a few further articles that you may be interested in.
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Most funerals will have some space for readings and eulogies dotted throughout. Here are some examples that you can take inspiration from.
Funeral readingsWe offer the highest level of support, but don't just take our word for it. Below are recent reviews from customers who bought a funeral with us.
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