Funeral poems
Classic poems for a funeral or memorial service. Every one was published before 1931, so it is in the public domain and free to print, and each names the printing it comes from.
34 poemsPublic domainSources cited
By who they are for
- For Mom14 poems
- For Dad9 poems
- For Grandma9 poems
- For a man17 poems
- For a woman17 poems
- For a husband or wife5 poems
- Christian16 poems
- Non-religious14 poems
- For a veteran4 poems
- Short14 poems
Every poem, A to Z
’Tis Better to Have Loved and Lost (In Memoriam XXVII)
I envy not in any moods
The captive void of noble rage,…A Psalm of Life
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!—…Abou Ben Adhem
Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,…Away
I cannot say, and I will not say
That he is dead.—He is just away!…Because I Could Not Stop for Death
Because I could not stop for Death,
He kindly stopped for me;…Crossing the Bar
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!…Death
Death, thou wast once an uncouth hideous thing,
Nothing but bones,…Death, Be Not Proud
Death be not proud, though some have callèd thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,…Fear No More the Heat o’ the Sun
Fear no more the heat o' th' sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;…Footsteps of Angels
When the hours of Day are numbered,
And the voices of the Night…For the Fallen
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.…Go Down Death (A Funeral Sermon)
Weep not, weep not,
She is not dead;…Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,…How Do I Love Thee? (Sonnets from the Portuguese 43)
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height…If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain;…In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,…Lead, Kindly Light
Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on;…Mother o’ Mine
If I were hanged on the highest hill,
Mother o’ mine, O mother o’ mine!…No Coward Soul Is Mine
No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world's storm-troubled sphere:…O Captain! My Captain!
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won,…Only a Dad
Only a dad with a tired face,
Coming home from the daily race,…Prospice
Fear death?—to feel the fog in my throat,
The mist in my face,…Remember
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;…Requiem
Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.…Resignation
There is no flock, however watched and tended,
But one dead lamb is there!…Rest
O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth;…Rock Me to Sleep
Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for to-night!…Strong Son of God, Immortal Love (In Memoriam, Prologue)
Strong Son of God, immortal Love,
Whom we, that have not seen thy face,…The Eternal Goodness
O friends! with whom my feet have trod
The quiet aisles of prayer,…The Reaper and the Flowers
There is a Reaper, whose name is Death,
And, with his sickle keen,…The Soldier
If I should die, think only this of me:
That there's some corner of a foreign field…There Is No Death
There is no death! The stars go down
To rise upon some other shore,…Up-Hill
Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.…When I Am Dead, My Dearest
When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;…
Some well-known funeral poems are still under copyright, including “The Dash”, “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” and “Footprints in the Sand”, so they are not printed here.