A poem can say what’s hard to put into your own words. This guide groups well-loved funeral poems by theme, with a one-line note on each and whether it’s out of copyright in the UK. We don’t reproduce the poems here: look them up in a library, an anthology or a reputable poetry website before you choose.
Key points
- Pick a poem that sounds like the person, not just one that’s popular.
- Read it aloud first. One to two minutes is usually right.
- Check copyright before printing. In the UK, written work is protected until 70 years after the author’s death, so poets who died before 1956 are out of copyright.
- In-copyright poems are widely read aloud at funerals, but ask the publisher before printing them in full or putting them online.
- Faith services may have rules about readings. Ask the minister or faith leader.
Understanding the tables
“Out of copyright?” tells you whether the poem can be printed freely in the UK. “Yes” means the poet died more than 70 years ago. “No” means it is still in copyright. “Unclear” means the author is disputed, so treat it as in copyright.
Well-known funeral poems
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” | Usually attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye | The person is found in wind, snow and sunlight, not the grave | Unclear |
| “Death Is Nothing at All” | Henry Scott Holland | Death as a quiet step into the next room; from a sermon | Yes |
| “Remember” | Christina Rossetti | Asks to be remembered, but not at the cost of happiness | Yes |
| “Crossing the Bar” | Alfred, Lord Tennyson | A calm voyage out to sea at the end of life | Yes |
| “She Is Gone (He Is Gone)” | David Harkins | Choosing to smile at a life lived rather than grieve it | No |
| “Funeral Blues” | W. H. Auden | Raw, sweeping grief for a lost love | No |
Poems for a mum or dad
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” | Dylan Thomas | A son urging his dying father to fight | Yes |
| “Mother o’ Mine” | Rudyard Kipling | A child’s unshakeable love for their mother | Yes |
| “Follower” | Seamus Heaney | A son remembering his father at work on the farm | No |
| “Those Winter Sundays” | Robert Hayden | Understanding a father’s quiet sacrifices too late | No |
| “Long Distance II” | Tony Harrison | A father who can’t accept his wife has gone | No |
Poems for a grandparent
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Warning” | Jenny Joseph | Growing old with mischief and purple clothes | No |
| “If—” | Rudyard Kipling | A father’s advice on living well; loved for grandads | Yes |
| “Gone From My Sight” | Often attributed to Henry Van Dyke | A ship sailing out of view but arriving elsewhere | Unclear |
| “When You Are Old” | W. B. Yeats | Looking back with love on a long life | Yes |
| “Afternoon on a Hill” | Edna St Vincent Millay | Simple joy in flowers, sky and the evening lights | Yes |
Poems for a partner
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Sonnet 116” | William Shakespeare | Love that doesn’t change with time | Yes |
| “How Do I Love Thee?” | Elizabeth Barrett Browning | Counting the ways of a lifelong love | Yes |
| “John Anderson, My Jo” | Robert Burns | An old couple walking down life’s hill together; in Scots | Yes |
| “He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven” | W. B. Yeats | Tender, humble devotion | Yes |
| “The Life That I Have” | Leo Marks | A short, intense promise of love | No |
Poems for a child or young person
These can be very hard to read aloud. Some families ask the celebrant to read them. See also our guide to a funeral for a baby or child.
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “On My First Son” | Ben Jonson | A father’s farewell to his young son | Yes |
| “Little Boy Blue” | Eugene Field | Toys waiting faithfully for a child who has gone | Yes |
| “Warm Summer Sun” | Robert Richardson, adapted by Mark Twain | A gentle blessing over a daughter’s grave | Yes |
| “Surprised by Joy” | William Wordsworth | A parent’s grief for a young daughter | Yes |
| “The End” (from The Crescent Moon) | Rabindranath Tagore | A child’s voice promising to stay close to their mother | Yes |
| “Mid-Term Break” | Seamus Heaney | A family’s shock at the death of a little boy | No |
Nature poems
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” | William Wordsworth | Daffodils remembered in quiet moments | Yes |
| “Loveliest of Trees” | A. E. Housman | Cherry blossom and making the most of life | Yes |
| “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” | W. B. Yeats | Longing for a peaceful place by the water | Yes |
| “Adlestrop” | Edward Thomas | A still summer moment of birdsong | Yes |
| “Afterwards” | Thomas Hardy | Hoping to be remembered as someone who noticed nature | Yes |
| “Requiem” | Robert Louis Stevenson | Home at last from the sea and the hills | Yes |
| “Sea-Fever” | John Masefield | The pull of the sea; loved for sailors | No |
| “Wild Geese” | Mary Oliver | Belonging to the natural world as you are | No |
Faith and spiritual poems
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Death, Be Not Proud” | John Donne | Death defeated by eternal life | Yes |
| “Up-Hill” | Christina Rossetti | Life as a journey with rest at the end | Yes |
| “Love (III)” | George Herbert | A soul welcomed with grace | Yes |
| “Prospice” | Robert Browning | Facing death bravely, hoping for reunion | Yes |
| “On Death” (from The Prophet) | Kahlil Gibran | Life and death as one, like river and sea | Yes |
| “Pied Beauty” | Gerard Manley Hopkins | Praise for God in all the variety of creation | Yes |
Scripture and sacred texts are usually chosen by citation, for example Psalm 23, Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, John 14:1–6 or Romans 8:38–39 in Christian services, and Surah Al-Baqarah 2:155–157 in Muslim tradition. At a Catholic funeral Mass, the readings come from Scripture; a poem may fit best at the vigil or in the words of remembrance. See our faith guides and funeral music, hymns and readings.
Light-hearted and celebration-of-life poems
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Warning” | Jenny Joseph | Mischievous and joyful about growing old | No |
| “Let Me Die a Youngman’s Death” | Roger McGough | A comic wish to go out in style at a great age | No |
| “If I Should Go Before the Rest of You” | Joyce Grenfell | Asking friends to grieve briefly, then carry on | No |
| “The Rolling English Road” | G. K. Chesterton | A jolly ramble through English lanes and pubs | Yes |
| “The Owl and the Pussy-cat” | Edward Lear | Nonsense verse for someone with a playful spirit | Yes |
For service personnel and veterans
| Poem | Poet | Why families choose it | Out of copyright? |
|---|---|---|---|
| “For the Fallen” | Laurence Binyon | The Remembrance poem read at services of remembrance | Yes |
| “High Flight” | John Gillespie Magee | The joy of flight; loved by pilots | Yes |
| “In Flanders Fields” | John McCrae | Poppies and a call to remember | Yes |
| “The Soldier” | Rupert Brooke | A soldier’s love for England | Yes |
Tips for reading a poem at a funeral
- Print it in large type and bring a spare copy.
- Practise aloud several times, ideally to someone else.
- Slow down. Pause at line breaks and after the last line.
- Have a back-up reader, such as the celebrant, in case emotion takes over.
- Introduce it briefly: “Mum loved this poem. She had it on the fridge for years.”
Next steps
- Plan the whole service with our order of service guide.
- Write a personal tribute with how to write a eulogy or our eulogy writer.
- Find out what happens at a funeral.
Frequently asked questions
Can I print a poem in the order of service?
Poems by writers who died more than 70 years ago are out of copyright in the UK and can be printed freely. For a poem still in copyright, you may need the publisher's permission to print it in full or share it online. Reading it aloud at the service is common. See our order of service guide.
What is the most popular funeral poem in the UK?
There are no official figures. Well-known choices include "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep", "Death Is Nothing at All", "Remember" and "Crossing the Bar". The best choice is the one that feels right for the person.
How long should a funeral poem be?
Aim for one to two minutes read aloud, which is usually 12 to 30 lines. Crematorium slots can be tight, so check timings with your funeral director or celebrant.
Can I read a funny poem at a funeral?
Yes, if it suits the person and the family. A light-hearted poem can be a welcome moment of warmth, especially at a celebration of life. It often works best alongside something more reflective.
Where can I find the full text of these poems?
Public libraries, poetry anthologies and reputable poetry websites carry most of them. For poems still in copyright, use a published source so the wording is accurate and you can see who to ask for permission.
Can I write my own poem?
Yes. A few heartfelt lines written by a family member can be more moving than any famous poem. Our eulogy writer can help you gather memories to start from.
Sources
We check guides against official sources and update them when rules change. Editorial policy · Report an error
Cite this page: FuneralFinder (2026). “Funeral poems: ideas by theme, and which you can print”. https://funeralfinder.org/uk/guides/funeral-poems/ (updated 25 September 2026).