A short funeral poem allows for a brief but impactful reflection on the honored person’s life. It provides a moment of pause and reflection for those in attendance and can leave a lasting impression.
These poems foster a shared experience, resonating with diverse individuals and cultivating a sense of unity and connection.
Short Funeral Poems -What To Know:
- Easy to read or recite, even amid grief.
- Easily tailored to the specific person who has died, their life, and their personality.
- A way to share memories and express love and appreciation for the deceased.
- Provide comfort and hope to those who are grieving.
1 – The Star
A light went out on Earth for me
The day we said goodbye
And on that day a star was born,
The brightest in the sky
Reaching through the darkness
With its rays of purest white
Lighting up the Heavens
As it once lit up my life
With beams of love to heal
The broken heart you left behind
Where always in my memory
Your lovely star will shine
Note: Conveys the idea of a loss of light on earth, but a new light in the heavens can comfort the mourners.
2 – Warm Summer Sun
Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.Good night, dear heart,
by Mark Twain
Good night, good night.
Note: The poem’s ending with “Good night, dear heart, Good night, good night” is poignant and brings a sense of closure and farewell. This poem is written by Walt Whitman, a well-known American poet, which makes it more meaningful and valuable
3 – If I Should Go Tomorrow
If I should go tomorrow
It would never be goodbye,
For I have left my heart with you,
So don’t you ever cry.The love that’s deep within me,
by Anon
Shall reach you from the stars,
You’ll feel it from the heavens,
Note: The imagery of love reaching us from the heavens creates a sense of comfort and reassurance.
4 – From ‘The Excursion’
And when the stream that overflows has passed,
A consciousness remains upon the silent shore of memory;Images and precious thoughts that shall not be
And cannot be destroyed.
Note: Even though time passes and life is fleeting, the memories of a loved one will always remain, providing comfort and reassurance to those grieving.
5 – May Time Soften Your Pain
In times of darkness, love sees…
In time of silence, love hears…
In times of doubt, love hopes…
In times of sorrow, love heals…
And in all times, love remembers.May time soften the pain
by Andrea Jackson
Until all that remains
Is the warmth of the memories
And the love.
Note: This poem highlights that love is a source of comfort and healing and that it will remember the loved one even after their passing.
6 – If I Should Die Before The Rest Of You
If I should die before the rest of you
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone
Nor, when I’m gone, speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must
Parting is hell.
But life goes on.
So sing as well.
Note: The poem addresses the living and encourages them not to grieve excessively or make a big fuss over their death. Instead, the speaker asks them to be their “usual selves” and to continue living their lives
7 – Nothing Gold Can Stay
Nature’s first green is gold,
by Robert Frost
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.
Note: Robert Frost’s metaphor of nature’s beauty is fleeting and temporary and that nothing beautiful can last forever is the transience of life and beauty, which is relatable to mourners.
8 – Music, When Soft Voices Die
Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory—
Odors, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
Are heaped for the belovèd’s bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.
Note: This poem can be a source of solace and comfort to someone grieving and can help remind them that the memory of their loved one will live on. Perfect for a Sympathy Card
9 – Because I Love You So
Time will not dim the face I love,
Unknown
The voice I heard each day,
The many things you did for me,
In your own special way.
All my life I’ll miss you,
As the years come and go,
But in my heart I’ll keep you,
Because I love you so.
10 – If I Should Die
If I should die and leave you
Be not like the others, quick undone
Who keep long vigils by the silent
dust and weep.For my sake turn to life and smile
by Thomas Gray
Nerving thy heart and trembling
hand to comfort weaker souls than thee.
Complete these unfinished tasks of mine
And I perchance may therein comfort thee.
Note: The poem is often read at funerals and reminds us that death is not the end and that the memory of the deceased lives on through the actions and lives of those they left behind.
11 – Separation
Your absence has gone through me
by W.S. Merwin
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.
Note: “Separation” is often read slowly at the end of a memorial service. This short but powerful message of how grief colors every aspect of one’s life and how it is permanent. It serves as a reminder that the memory of the loved one will always be with grieving.
12 – Turn Again To Life
If I should die and leave you here a while,
by Mary Lee Hall
Be not like others sore undone,
Who keep long vigil by the silent dust.
For my sake turn again to life and smile,
Nerving thy heart and trembling hand to do
Something to comfort other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear unfinished tasks of mine
And I perchance may therein comfort you.
Note: Overall, the passage from the departed encourages them to find strength in the face of loss and to use the memories of the deceased to comfort others and oneself.
13 – Memories
Life can never stay the same
by Catherine Turner
No matter how we try
Our hands can never stop
The clock of life from ticking by
But love remains, unchanging
In the care of sorrowing hearts
For as the love of life is stilled
The love of memory starts
14 – There Is No Night Without A Dawning
No winter without a spring
by Helen Steiner Rice
And beyond the dark horizon
Our hearts will once more sing ….
For those who leave us for a while
Have only gone away
Out of a restless, care worn world
Into a brighter day
15 – As Long As Hearts Remember
As long as hearts remember
As long as hearts still care
We do not part with those we love
They’re with us everywhere.
16 – Love Shines Through
Like a shadow in the moonlight
Like the whisper of the seas
Like the echoes of a melody
Just beyond our reach
In the shadow of our sorrow
Past the whisper of goodbye
Love shines through eternity
A heartbeat from our eye
17 – Irish Blessing
May the roads rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
May the rains fall soft upon fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
18 – Afterglow
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
by Helen Lowrie Marshall
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.
19 – A Song of Living
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
by Amelia Josephine Burr
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.
I have run and leaped with the rain,
I have taken the wind to my breast.
My cheek like a drowsy child
to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life,
I shall have no sorrow to die.
20 – Happy The Man
Happy the man, and happy he alone,
by John Dryden
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.
21 – Our Memories Build A Special Bridge
When loved ones have to part
To help us feel were with them still
And soothe a grieving heart
They span the years and warm our lives
Preserving ties that bind
Our memories build a special bridge
And bring us peace of mind
22 – The Window
Your body is away from me
but there is a window open
from my heart to yours.From this window, like the moon
by Rumi
I keep sending news secretly.
23 – ‘Tis Better To Have Loved and Lost
I hold it true, whate’er befall;
by Alfred Lord Tennyson
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
Short funeral poems can be a powerful and meaningful way to express condolences and honor the deceased person.
Benefits of Short Funeral Poems
- They can be easily read or recited – Short funeral poems are often easy to read or recite, which can make them a good choice for use during a funeral or memorial service.
- They can be emotionally impactful – Although short, funeral poems can be emotionally powerful and moving. They can help express feelings and memories in a concise and meaningful way.
- They can be personal – Funeral poems can be personalized to reflect the life and personality of the person who has died. This can make them a meaningful and personal way to honor and remember the person.
- They can provide comfort – Reading or reciting a funeral poem can be a comforting and healing experience for those who are grieving. The poem’s words can provide solace and support during a difficult time.
Choosing a funeral poem that feels meaningful and appropriate for the person who has died and for the occasion is crucial. There are many short funeral poems to choose from, and you can work with a funeral director or clergy member to find a poem that feels right for you.
