10 Moving Poems for Funeral Services and Memorials

Finding the right poem for a funeral or memorial service can be a deeply personal and challenging task. The perfect poem offers comfort, celebrates life, and provides a space for shared grief and remembrance. This selection of ten poems, ranging from classic to contemporary, offers diverse expressions of loss, hope, and the enduring power of love. They are chosen for their beauty, emotional resonance, and suitability for readings at funeral services and memorials.

Introduction: The Power of Poetry in Grief

Poetry offers a unique solace during times of grief. Its condensed language and evocative imagery can express complex emotions that feel too difficult to articulate otherwise. At a funeral or memorial service, a well-chosen poem can provide a shared point of connection, a moment of reflection, and a lasting tribute to the departed. This curated selection offers poems of varying lengths and tones, suitable for different personal preferences and service styles.

1. “Loss” by Winifred M. Letts

Winifred M. Letts poignantly captures the all-encompassing nature of grief in this heartfelt poem. The tangible imagery of lost “sun and moon” and “hope of Spring” resonates deeply with those experiencing profound loss.

Loss

In losing you I lost my sun and moon
And all the stars that blessed my lonely night.
I lost the hope of Spring, the joy of June,
The Autumn’s peace, the Winter’s firelight.
I lost the zest of living, the sweet sense
Expectant of your step, your smile, your kiss;
I lost all hope and fear and keen suspense
For this cold calm, sans agony, sans bliss.
I lost the rainbow’s gold, the silver key
That gave me freedom of my town of dreams;
I lost the path that leads to Faërie
By beechen glades and heron-haunted streams.
I lost the master word, dear love, the clue
That threads the maze of life when I lost you.

Image of a grieving person

2. “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson

Tennyson’s iconic poem offers a comforting metaphor for death as a peaceful transition, a “crossing of the bar” from the familiar shores of life to the vast ocean of eternity. Its message of faith and acceptance resonates with those seeking solace in spiritual beliefs.

Crossing the Bar

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 cross’d the bar.

3. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost

Robert Frost’s concise poem speaks to the ephemeral nature of beauty and youth. Its poignant message of transience encourages an appreciation for the preciousness of life and the inevitability of change.

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Image of a golden leaf

4. “Epitaph on My Own Friend” by Robert Burns

This poem, though titled an epitaph, serves as a beautiful tribute to friendship and a life well-lived. It celebrates the virtues of honesty, truth, and warmth, offering comfort and inspiration to those mourning the loss of a friend.

Epitaph on My Own Friend

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.

5. “The Departed” by John Banister Tabb

John Banister Tabb’s short, evocative poem explores the enduring connection between the living and the dead. It suggests a spiritual continuity that transcends physical separation, offering solace to those grappling with loss.

The Departed

They cannot wholly pass away
How far soe’er above;
Nor we, the lingerers, wholly stay
Apart from those we love:
For spirits in eternity,
As shadows in the sun,
Reach backward into Time, as we,
Like lifted clouds, reach on.

6. “Miss Me, But Let Me Go” – Author Unknown

This widely beloved poem, though of unknown origin, offers a message of acceptance and peace. It encourages those left behind to remember the love shared and to find comfort in the belief that death is a natural part of life’s journey.

Miss Me, But Let Me Go

When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free!

Miss me a little—but not for long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me, but let me go.

For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone;
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan
A step on the road to home.

When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss me, but let me go.

Image of a sunset

7. “Consolation” by Robert Louis Stevenson

Stevenson’s poem offers a comforting perspective on death, portraying it not as an ending but as a temporary separation. The imagery of a friend “a few, trifling steps ahead” on the same path provides solace and hope for reunion.

Consolation

Though he, that ever kind and true,
Kept stoutly step by step with you,
Your whole long, gusty lifetime through,
Be gone a while before,
Be now a moment gone before,
Yet, doubt not, soon the seasons shall restore
Your friend to you.

He has but turned the corner—still
He pushes on with right good will,
Through mire and marsh, by heugh and hill,
That self-same arduous way—
That self-same upland, hopeful way,
That you and he through many a doubtful day
Attempted still.

He is not dead, this friend—not dead,
But in the path we mortals tread
Got some few, trifling steps ahead
And nearer to the end;
So that you too, once past the bend,
Shall meet again, as face to face, this friend
You fancy dead.

Push gaily on, strong heart! The while
You travel forward mile by mile,
He loiters with a backward smile
Till you can overtake,
And strains his eyes to search his wake,
Or whistling, as he sees you through the brake,
Waits on a stile.

8. “Happy the Man” by John Dryden

Dryden’s poem celebrates a life lived fully and without regrets. Its message of embracing each day and facing death with equanimity offers a powerful affirmation of life’s inherent value.

Happy the Man

Happy the man, and happy he alone,
He who can call today his own:
He who, secure within, can say,
Tomorrow do thy worst, for I have lived today.
Be fair or foul or rain or shine
The joys I have possessed, in spite of fate, are mine.
Not Heaven itself upon the past has power,
But what has been, has been, and I have had my hour.

9. “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden

Auden’s powerful poem expresses the raw, overwhelming grief of loss with striking imagery. Its unflinching portrayal of heartbreak resonates deeply with those experiencing the profound disorientation of bereavement.

Funeral Blues

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.

10. “Music When Soft Voices Die” by Percy Bysshe Shelley

Shelley’s lyrical poem evokes the enduring power of memory and love. It suggests that even after death, the essence of a loved one lingers, like a beautiful melody or a fragrant rose.

Music When Soft Voices Die

Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory—
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.

Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heaped for the belovèd’s bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.

Image of roses

Conclusion: Finding Comfort and Meaning in Poetry

These ten poems offer a diverse range of expressions of grief, consolation, and remembrance. Whether seeking solace in faith, celebrating a life well-lived, or grappling with the raw pain of loss, poetry can provide a powerful means of connection and healing during times of mourning. May these poems offer comfort and inspiration as you navigate the difficult journey of grief.