Funeral Poems / Funeral Verses

Popular Funeral Poetry Certain poems and excerpts are recognised for their extraordinary healing power and for their capacity to convey the universal truths and emotions associated with bereavement. Examples include: 1. Crossing The Bar (Alfred, Lord Tennyson) 2. We See But Dimly (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow) 3. Remember (Christina Rossetti) 4. Funeral Blues (W.H. Auden) 5. When I Have Fears (Nol Coward) 6. Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep (Mary Elizabeth Frye) 7. You Meant So Much (Cassie Mitchell) 8. I Am There (Iris Hesselden) 9. Fear No More the Heat O The Sun (William Shakespeare) 10. All Things Pass (Lao-Tzu) 11. No Longer Mourn Me When I Am Dead (William Shakespeare) 12. Death Be Not Proud (John Donne) 13. Miss me but let me go (Anon) 14. Miss me but let me go (Anon) 15. Death is nothing at all (Canon Henry Scott Holland) 16. The Sailing Ship ( Bishop Brent) 17. I'm Still Here (Anon) 18. Footprints in the sand (Mary Stevenson) 19. Footprints in the sand(Carolyn Joyce Carty) 20. Footprints (Anon) 21. Grieve not for me (Anon) 22. Section of a personalised poem 23. If tears could build a stairway 24. Epitaph on a child (Thomas Gray) 25. Promise You Wont Forget About Me, Ever (A.A. Milne) 26. 'The Dash' (Linda Ellis) 27. Remember me (Linda Ellis) 28. Let me go (Christina Rosetti) 29. Responses for a cremation (Ruth Burgess) 30. Responses for a burial (Ruth Burgess) 31. Irish blessing (Anon)

1. Alfred Lord Tennyson

Crossing the Bar Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me! And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea.

But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home!

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark! And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourn of Time and Place The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar.

2. We See But Dimly

We see but dimly through the mists and vapours; Amid these earthly damps

What seem to us but sad, funeral tapers May be heaven's distant lamps

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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3. Remember BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI 18301894

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.

Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd:

Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while

And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile

Than that you should remember and be sad.

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4, Funeral Blues Made popular by the movie, Four Weddings and a Funeral

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.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves, Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves. He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;

I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods; For nothing now can ever come to any good.

W.H. Auden

5. When I Have Fears - Noel Coward

When I have fears, as Keats had fears, Of the moment I'll cease to be

I console myself with vanished years Remembered laughter, remembered tears,

And the peace of the changing sea.

When I feel sad, as Keats felt sad That my life is so nearly done

It gives me comfort to dwell upon Remembered friends who are dead and gone

And the jokes we had and the fun

How happy they are I cannot know, But happy I am who loved them so.

Noel Coward

6. Do not stand at my grave and weep

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 glints on snow.

I am the sunlight on ripened grain.

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circled flight.

I am the soft stars that shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there, I did not die.

Mary Frye

7. You Meant So Much

You meant so much to all of us You were special and that's no lie You brightened up the darkest day

And the cloudiest sky

Your smile alone warmed hearts Your laugh was like music to hear I would give absolutely anything

To have you well and standing near

Not a second passes When you're not on our minds Your love we will never forget

The hurt will ease in time

Many tears I have seen and cried They have all poured out like rain

I know that you are happy now And no longer in any pain.

Cassie Mitchell

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8. I Am There - Iris Hesselden

Look for me when the tide is high

And the gulls are wheeling overhead

When the autumn wind sweeps the cloudy sky

And one by one the leaves are shed

Look for me when the trees are bare

And the stars are bright in the frosty sky

When the morning mist hangs on the air

And shorter darker days pass by.

I am there, where the river flows

And salmon leap to a silver moon

Where the insects hum and the tall grass grows

And sunlight warms the afternoon

I am there in the busy street

I take you hand in the city square

In the market place where the people meet

In your quiet room - I am there

I am the love you cannot see

And all I ask is - look for me

9. Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun Fear no more the heat o' the sun, Nor the furious winter's rages;

Thou thy worldly task hast done, Home art done, and ta'en thy wages:

Golden lads and girls all must, As chimney-sweepers, come to dust.

Fear no more the frown o' the great;

Thou art past the tyrant's stroke; Care no more to clothe and eat; To thee the reed is as the oak:

The Sceptre, Learning, Physic, must All follow this, and come to dust.

Fear no more the lightning-flash,

Nor the'all-dreaded thunder-stone; Fear not slander, censure rash;

Thou hast finished joy and moan: All lovers young, all lovers must

Consign to thee, and come to dust. No exorciser harm thee!

Nor no witchcraft charm thee! Ghost unlaid forbear thee! Nothing ill come near thee! Quiet consummation have,

And renownd by thy grave!

William Shakespeare

10. All Things Pass - Lao-Tzu All things pass

A sunrise does not last all morning All things pass

A cloudburst does not last all day All things pass

Nor a sunset all night All things pass

What always changes?

Earth...sky...thunder... mountain...water... wind...fire...lake...

These change

And if these do not last

Do man's visions last? Do man's illusions?

Take things as they come

All things pass

11. Sonnet 71 - No longer mourn for me - Shakespeare

No longer mourn for me when I am dead

Than you shall hear the surly sullen bell

Give warning to the world that I am fled

From this vile world with vilest worms to dwell.

Nay if you read this line, remember not

The hand that writ it, for I love you so

That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot

If thinking on me then should make you woe.

O, if, I say, you look upon this verse,

When I perhaps compounded am with clay,

Do not so much as my poor name rehearse,

But let your love even with my life decay,

Lest the wise world should look into your moan

And mock you with me after I am gone.

12. Death be not proud John Donne

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,