Top 10 funeral poems

Poems for funerals are a great way of expressing your feelings for your loved one. If you are struggling to explain how much they mean to you, the words of a poet or writer can be a heartfelt and special tribute.

Funeral poems are a popular part of the funeral service. A study by Co-op Funeralcare found that three-quarters of funeral directors agreed that a remembrance poem is the most common choice for part of a loved one’s eulogy.

Below are the UK’s top 10 most popular funeral poems. Ranging from classic authors to modern poets, these 10 poems for funerals would make a beautiful tribute to a loved one. Included below are the opening lines of each poem – click on the title to view the poem in full.

1. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep – Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.

2. The Parting Glass – Irish Traditional

Of all the money that e'er I spent
I've spent it in good company.
And all the harm that ever I did
Alas it was to none but me.
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory now I can't recall.
So fill to me the parting glass
Good night and joy be with you all.

3. Funeral Blues – W.H. Auden

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.

4. Life Goes On – Joyce Grenfell

If I should go before the rest of you,
Break not a flower,
Nor inscribe a stone,
Nor when I am gone,
Speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves
That I have known.

5. To Sleep – John Keats

O soft embalmer of the still midnight,
Shutting, with careful
Fingers and benign,
Our gloom-pleas’d eyes,
Embower’d from the light,
Enshaded in forgetfulness divine

6. Song (When I am Dead, My Dearest) – Christina Rossetti

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree

7. Remember – Christina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.

8. If I Should Go Tomorrow – Author Unknown

If I should go tomorrow
It would never be goodbye,
For I have left my heart with you,
So don’t you ever cry.

9. Remember me (She is Gone) – David Harkins

You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she will come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.

10. Death is Nothing At All (All is Well) – Canon Henry Scott-Holland

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

For more funeral verses and inspiration for your loved one’s service, browse our collection of funeral poems .