What Poems To Include In A Funeral?

At a time when we might find it hard to talk about our grief, poetry can be a powerful tool to help us reflect on the lives and legacies of those we have lost. Reading a poem at a funeral can help you impart meaning and sentiment, especially if you’re struggling to find the words yourself.

If you’re speaking at a funeral, a poetry reading can form some or all of your eulogy. Some of the most beautiful poems for funerals may have a particular verse or line that resonates with you and the loss you’ve experienced.

We’ve collected a few remembrance poems that may help you say goodbye.

Poems for a parent

1. Crossing the Bar by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

2. Little Father by Li-Young Lee

3. The Truth the Dead Know by Annie Sexton

4. Death by Donald Revell

5. For a Father by Elise Partridge

Poems for a partner

1. Bereavement by William Lisle Bowles

2. Remember by Christina Rossetti

3. Dirge Without Music by Edna St. Vincent Millay

4. The Man Moves Earth by Cathy Song

5. The Widow’s Lament in Springtime by William Carlos Williams

Poems for a child

1. Epitaph by Katherine Phillips

2. Little Elegy by Elinor Wylie

3. In Memory of a Child by Vachel Lindsay

4. You Were You Are Elegy by Mary Jo Bang

5. And Thou art Dead, as Young and Fair by Lord Byron

Poems for a friend

1. How It Is by Maxine Kumin

2. Monody by Herman Melville

3. An Afternoon at the Beach by Edgar Bowers

4. Consolation by Robert Louis Stevenson

5. Dream Land by Christina Rossetti

Say goodbye your way

We understand how important it is to honour your loved one with a personalised memorial. Our devoted arrangers at Safewill Cremations are here to take care of the essentials so you can celebrate your way.