Tips for Finding Funeral Poems to Read During a Eulogy

Funeral poems are used in eulogies, memorial readings, condolence cards, and funeral programmes, and we can help with a few tips on finding the right piece. When someone near and dear passes on, people in mourning often find that they simply do not have the right words to convey how deep their loss runs. Poetry, which deals with symbolism, metaphors, and creates profound imagery, is not bound by the usual rules of language, so it is used to express the typically inexpressible. If you would like to find the perfect poem for the loss of someone close, we can help you with tips on narrowing down your options, as well as a library of published local poetry.

Seek Out Funeral Poems That Remind You of the Person

Your biggest challenge in finding the right funeral poems will be looking for something that speaks to the personality, character, or legacy of the person who passed on. It will also depend on your relationship with them. Losing a parent, close family member, or friend may be quite different from losing a colleague or acquaintance. Poetry that explores closeness and love is usually read by someone remembering the emotional intimacy of a relationship, but not everyone in the audience will understand or relate to this. However, this does not mean you should avoid poems of a more personal nature. Reading a poem that addresses well-known aspects of the person, such as their sense of humour, kindness, or larger-than-life personality is usually most appropriate.

Find Something to Which the Audience Can Relate

Some funeral poems do not speak about a specific person at all, but rather only the idea of loss and grief. Other poems address a grieving audience by taking on the voice of someone who has passed on and is now comforting their loved ones. One of the most famous funeral poems is “Death is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott-Holland, and it is written from the perspective of a deceased individual who looks at death rather practically. In the second stanza, the speaker consoles those who are mourning them,
“Everything remains exactly as it was.
I am I, and you are you,
and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.”

Another similar and popular funeral piece,“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye approaches death in the same way. The last lines, “Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die.” comforts those grieving by reminding them that when we die, our memory is assimilated into the beauty of nature by those who seek to find it. Poems like this are easy for the entire audience to relate to without losing any familiarity or feeling too informal.

Look Beyond Classic Funeral Poems

If you are looking for timeless classics, you will run into very popular names such as Helen Steiner Rice Poems, whose poetry has graced the face of countless condolence cards. While these classic pieces are almost universally easy to read and even comforting, they are used quite often. No matter how timeless and applicable a poem is, it might start to lose its meaning if the audience has read and seen it too many times before.

One option is to write your own poetry. You can also explore new and unique poems in a few places, such as published anthologies, the internet, online magazines and forums, and more. Finding local funeral poetry, however, is a little more challenging. Within South Africa alone, there are innumerable talented artists and writers whose work often goes unnoticed. We at The AVBOB Poetry Project aim to give these poets a platform with our annual competition and library. Not only can you “enter” your piece, but you have open access to thousands of poems across all 11 official South African languages.
When it comes to saying what you really feel, honouring the life of someone special, or uniting and comforting your audience during their time of grief, poetry is the best way to do it. If you would like to learn more about the art of writing funeral poems, or if you want to find out what our competition entails, feel free to contact us today.