Best Funeral Poems: Uplifting, Short, and Memorial Poems

Introduction

Choosing the right funeral poems is a deeply personal process. Whether you are looking for uplifting funeral poems, poems about the death of a loved one, or a heartfelt eulogy poem, the right poem can bring comfort and honor the memory of the deceased. These poems capture the emotions of grief, love, and reflection, helping family and friends celebrate a life well-lived.

In this guide, we'll explore a variety of funeral memorial poems—from poems to read at a funeral to those perfect for inclusion in a funeral program. No matter the tone you're aiming for, we’ll provide suggestions for both somber and uplifting moments, ensuring you find the words that best reflect your loved one’s legacy.

Uplifting Funeral Poems for Loved Ones

For those who wish to focus on celebration rather than sorrow, uplifting funeral poems offer hope and a positive outlook on the life that has passed. These poems speak to the eternal presence of love and memory, encouraging mourners to celebrate the joy brought into the world by the deceased.

Popular uplifting funeral poems include:

• "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye
  This poem provides a message of comfort, reminding mourners that their loved one is still present in their hearts and the world around them. Its emphasis on eternity and peace makes it a beautiful choice for an uplifting service.

• "The Life That I Have" by Leo Marks
  A simple yet moving poem about the enduring nature of love, this is a great option for those who want to focus on celebrating the life and love that remains after someone has passed away.

Including uplifting funeral poems in a service helps to inspire hope and provide comfort, focusing on the good times and positive memories shared with the deceased.

Poems to Say Goodbye at a Funeral

When it comes to saying a final farewell, finding the right poems to say goodbye at a funeral can offer solace and closure. These poems capture the heartache of loss but also provide a sense of peace, acceptance, and gratitude for the time spent together.

Some examples include:

• "Remember" by Christina Rossetti
  This poem beautifully expresses the hope that we can be remembered with love, without sorrow or regret. It’s a gentle way to say goodbye, offering comfort to those left behind.

• "Farewell My Friends" by Rabindranath Tagore
  A peaceful farewell that encourages those who are grieving to find solace in the idea that death is not an end, but a transition to something greater. This is an ideal poem to read at a funeral for someone who had a calm acceptance of life’s cycles.

Adding a poem to say goodbye helps create an emotional release for mourners, offering words that express the complex emotions that come with loss.

Related Reading: 21 Uplifting Quotes About Overcoming Grief

Poems for Funerals Focused on Reflection and Loss

Some funerals are designed to be deeply reflective, providing an opportunity for mourners to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. Poems about death of a loved one help capture these more somber emotions, offering a way to navigate grief and find meaning in loss.

Poems for funerals that express these emotions include:

• "Funeral Blues" by W.H. Auden
  This famous poem is a direct expression of profound grief and sadness, making it a fitting choice for those who want to fully acknowledge the heartache of losing a loved one. It captures the deep sorrow that often accompanies funerals, providing a shared outlet for mourners.

• "Crossing the Bar" by Alfred Lord Tennyson
  Tennyson’s poem uses the metaphor of crossing a bar (sailing into the horizon) to symbolize death and the peaceful transition into the afterlife. It is a thoughtful, reflective choice for those who want to meditate on the nature of life and death.

These types of poems for funerals allow mourners to reflect on the loss and the emotional weight of saying goodbye, making them suitable for more traditional, solemn services.

Goodbye Short Funeral Poems

Sometimes, less is more. Goodbye short funeral poems can make a profound impact in just a few lines, offering powerful emotions in a concise format. These are especially useful for inclusion in funeral programs or as part of a longer eulogy.

Examples of short funeral poems include:

• "She Is Gone" by David Harkins
  This brief yet poignant poem focuses on remembering a loved one fondly and with joy. It serves as a reminder to cherish the memories of those who have passed.

• "Afterglow" by Helen Lowrie Marshall
  A perfect memorial poem for loved ones, "Afterglow" encourages those grieving to smile and celebrate the life lived, making it ideal for an uplifting service.

Short poems like these allow you to capture big emotions without overwhelming those in attendance, making them perfect for moments when words need to be kept brief yet meaningful.

Memorial Funeral Poems for Loved Ones

For memorial services, finding the right memorial funeral poems helps create a lasting tribute to the person you’re remembering. These poems are often reflective, focusing on the life that was lived, and are a great fit for eulogy poems.

A few examples include:

• "When I Am Gone" by Lyman Hancock
  This thoughtful poem speaks about how to remember someone after they’ve passed, urging loved ones to smile and continue living their lives fully, even in the absence of the person who has gone.

• "If I Should Go" by Joyce Grenfell
  A lighthearted yet poignant reflection on death, this funeral memorial poem reminds those left behind to continue living with joy and to focus on the happy memories they shared with the deceased.

Including memorial poems for loved ones ensures that the service will focus on both reflection and celebration, honoring the memory of the person who has passed while comforting those who are left behind.

6 Funeral Poems to Honor Your Loved Ones 

• A Meeting by Edith Wharton

Written by Edith Wharton, A Meeting describes stopping on a bridge and basking in a small moment with a loved one until you must pass by. The final line–“My life shall be your bridge”–makes this a special funeral poem because it reminds us all of how we carry the memories of loved ones with us and the importance of pausing our daily lives to simply remember. 

"On a sheer peak of joy we meet;
Below us hums the abyss;
Death either way allures our feet
If we take one step amiss.

One moment let us drink the blue
Transcendent air together—
Then down where the same old work's to do
In the same dull daily weather.

We may not wait . . . yet look below!
How part? On this keen ridge
But one may pass. They call you—go!
My life shall be your bridge."

Reference link-poets.org (public domain)

• The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

Perhaps Frost’s most well-known poem, The Road Not Taken speaks of forging one’s own path through life. While it may not be an obvious funeral poem, The Road Not Taken is perfect for a celebration of life, as it encapsulates one’s independence and joy in taking the road less traveled by. 

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

Reference Link: viva.pressbooks.pub (public domain)

• For Keeps by Joy Harjo

Written by Joy Harjo, For Keeps depicts returning to the welcoming, open arms of one’s ancestors. During a time of grief, this can be a unique funeral poem as it seeks to find solace and joy in the connections we have formed in life and those from the past that have brought us to the present.

"Sun makes the day new.
Tiny green plants emerge from earth.
Birds are singing the sky into place.
There is nowhere else I want to be but here.
I lean into the rhythm of your heart to see where it will take us.
We gallop into a warm, southern wind."

Read more... Reference Link: poets.org

• Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep by Mary Elizabeth Frye

A popular funeral poem, Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep reminds us that those we have lost continue to live on in both our memories and the world around us. Mary Elizabeth Frye writes that we can find our loved loves through nature, that no one is ever really gone. 

"Do not stand
   By my grave, and weep,
I am not there,
   I do not sleep--

I am the thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints in snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain,
I am the gentle, autumn rain.
As you awake with morning's hush,
I am the swift, up-flinging rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the day transcending night.

Do not stand
   By my grave, and cry--
I am not there,
I did not die."

Reference Link: yourdailypoem.com (public domain)

• Dear Lovely Death by Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes suggests that death is not final, that it is merely a conduit for change. Dear Lovely Death serves as a reminder that no one is truly gone but has taken on a different form. If read as a funeral poem, the final line, “Change is thy other name,” brings comfort by reshaping our understanding of death. 

"Dear lovely Death
That taketh all things under wing—
Never to kill—
Only to change
Into some other thing
This suffering flesh,
To make it either more or less,
But not again the same—
Dear lovely Death,
Change is thy other name.Dear lovely Death
That taketh all things under wing—
Never to kill—
Only to change
Into some other thing
This suffering flesh,
To make it either more or less,
But not again the same—
Dear lovely Death,
Change is thy other name."

Reference Link: poetrynook.com

• Untitled [This is what was bequeathed us] by Gregory Orr

Written by Gregory Orr, Untitled describes what has been left behind: the simple world in which we must live. If read as a funeral poem, its final line, “Sing me awake,” is a sort of call-to-action, a reminder to color the world with the memory of those who have passed, to bring them back through our hearts and voices.  

"This is what was bequeathed us:
This earth the beloved left
And, leaving,
Left to us.

No other world
But this one:
Willows and the river
And the factory
With its black smokestacks.

No other shore, only this bank
On which the living gather.

No meaning but what we find here.
No purpose but what we make.

That, and the beloved’s clear instructions:
Turn me into song; sing me awake."

Reference Link: poets.org

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• What are the best funeral poems?

Some of the best funeral poems include "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" for its uplifting message and "Funeral Blues" for its deep expression of grief. The choice depends on the tone you want for the service.

• What are good poems for a funeral program?

Shorter poems like "She Is Gone" by David Harkins or "Afterglow" by Helen Lowrie Marshall are excellent choices for a funeral program, as they deliver heartfelt messages in a concise format.

• What are uplifting funeral poems?

Uplifting funeral poems like "The Life That I Have" by Leo Marks or "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" offer hope and comfort, making them ideal for services focused on celebrating life rather than mourning death.

• What is a good eulogy poem?

"Remember" by Christina Rossetti is a beautiful eulogy poem, offering a way to reflect on a loved one’s life while providing comfort to those who are grieving.

• How do I find a poem to read at a funeral?

Consider the tone of the funeral and the personality of your loved one. If you're looking for something celebratory, an uplifting poem like "Afterglow" might be fitting. For a more traditional or solemn service, consider poems like "Crossing the Bar" by Tennyson.

• Can I use memorial poems for loved ones?

Yes, memorial poems for loved ones such as "When I Am Gone" by Lyman Hancock are perfect for paying tribute during a funeral or memorial service.

Conclusion

Choosing the right funeral poems—whether they’re uplifting, positive, or reflective—helps bring comfort and celebrate the life of the person being remembered. With the right combination of tone and emotion, these poems for funerals can offer solace and closure to those who are grieving, while honoring the unique life of a loved one.

Poetry is often able to put our emotions into words when we cannot. If planning to read poems for funerals as part of a eulogy or memorial service, the right poem can provide comfort during a difficult time. Since finding the perfect funeral poem can be intimidating, here are 6 beautiful poems for funerals that capture the subtleties of life, grief and loss.