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Jan 29, 2024 · When someone we care about dies, peace may seem a long way off in the future. But it needn’t be, as this poem shows. If we seek not to resist the passing, but to see it as a grand resolution to something beautiful – a life – we can have peace even as a loved one drifts away.
- Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep - Mary Elizabeth Frye. “Do not stand at my grave and weep,” Frye commands. “I am not there. I do not sleep.” This vibrant poem suggests that the departed one’s spirit has merely been set free (“I am the sunlight…the gentle autumn rain”) so there is little to be gained by crying at a graveside.
- Remember – Christina Rossetti. This charming poem actually has a trick up his sleeve. Despite the title, it’s actually all about reassuring the living that sometimes it’s okay to forget (“if you should forget me for a while / …do not grieve”).
- funeral – Rupi Kaur. Does a funeral need to be dark, sombre occasion? Rupi Kaur doesn't think so. In this poem she describes her ideal funeral, including flower garlands, ice cream and dancing in the street.
- Let Me Die a Youngman's Death - Roger McGough. Sometimes, it helps to simply laugh in the face of the inevitable. With tongue firmly in cheek, Scouse poet McGough fantasises about dying a grisly, Hollywood-style death as a very old man.
Finding a way to express our emotions in the face of losing a loved one can feel like an impossible task. That's where funeral poems come in. These beautifully written verses offer a way to express the complex emotions of grief, love, and remembrance in a deeply personal and poignant manner.
2 days ago · 5) “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden. “Festival Blues” is a moving piece by W.H. Auden that captures the profound sense of loss experienced after the passing of a loved one. Originally written for a play in 1936, the poem gained a life of its own, striking a chord with readers who found solace in its raw emotional power.
- Kelly Roper
- Poems of Comfort and Sympathy for Lost Loved Ones. After a death, you can offer words of support and comfort to help someone in the grieving process, whether it was the loss of a family member or a friend.
- Poems of Comfort and Strength. You may want to offer more than just sympathy to your grieving friend or family member. Instead, you could share a poem about the loss of a loved one that will give them the strength to carry on.
- Short Condolence Poems to Comfort the Grieving. A poem doesn't need to be long to offer heartfelt condolences. You can use these short but comforting poems about death in sympathy cards, with funeral flowers, or in whatever way you think is appropriate for your loved one.
- Beautiful Loss of a Friend Poems. The loss of a friend can feel as painful as losing a family member. After all, they were your chosen family. Poems about losing a friend, or even losing them suddenly, may help a person feel less alone in their pain.
These poems navigate the shock and deep sorrow that accompanies an unexpected loss, expressing the complex emotions that arise when a loved one is suddenly taken away. Suitable for individuals chosen to read at a funeral or memorial service, the poems listed here offer a compassionate acknowledgement of the abrupt and profound nature of such loss.
Whether through Mary Elizabeth Frye's timeless verses, David Harkins' gentle wisdom, or Robert Louis Stevenson's serene imagery, these poems offer a sanctuary where we can seek solace and find healing. May they serve as a reminder that peace can be found, even in the shadows of death.
