There are a lot of details that go into planning a memorial service for a loved one, and you probably want everything to be perfect. You may want to choose the best casket floral spray, his or her favorite songs, and your loved one’s wardrobe with care. You do all of these chores in loving memory of the deceased.
Jump ahead to these sections:
- ‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Parents or Grandparents
- ‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Siblings
- ‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Children, Sons, or Daughters
- ‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Partners or Spouses
- ‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for a Wedding
- Where Can You Share an ‘In Loving Memory’ Poem?
One of the other details that you shouldn’t overlook is choosing which poem you would like to share at your loved one’s funeral. Of course, having a poem read at a funeral isn’t a requirement, but reading one at a service or having one printed in the program adds a layer of emotional depth to the gathering.
Here are some “in loving memory poems” you may consider using for your loved one’s memorial service.
‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Parents or Grandparents
Life feels different after you lose your parents and grandparents. Some describe feeling untethered. Others mourn the loss of traditions that often die away when a patriarch or matriarch dies. Here are some poems that celebrate parents and grandparents.
1. “Your Clothes” by Judith Kroll
Anyone who has lost a mother knows the surreal feeling that comes with emptying your mother’s closet. This poem describes this task and the emotion behind it.
2. “Little Father” by Li-Young Lee
This poem is for those who are comfortable with more complex imagery. This isn’t a simple funeral poem, but sometimes grief is too deep and complex to describe in a few rhyming couplets.
3. “Remember” by Christina Rossetti
Christina Rossetti’s words say what a deceased person would say from the grave if he could. The words act as a reminder to survivors that life has to go on even after a loved one dies. The last two lines state: “Better by far you should forget and smile, than that you should remember and be sad.”
4. “You Can Only Have One Mother” Irish Funeral Prayer
You know that this poem is lyrical and emotional based on the fact that it is labeled an “Irish Funeral Prayer.” This poem ends with these words: “Sweet Jesus, take this message,
To our dear mother up above; Tell her how we miss her and give her all our love.”
5. “To My Father” Georgia Harkness
The poet Georgia Harkness uses the metaphor of a falling pine tree to describe the death of her father. Even though what seemed powerful is gone, the poem says, “To know this life was good. It left its mark on me. Its work stands fast.”
‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Siblings
Are you attempting to write a eulogy for your brother or sister who recently died? Consider using one of these poems.
6. “sisters” by Lucille Clifton
This poem celebrates the bond that sisters who grew up together have. The poem describes the experiences they shared in their youth as well as the relationship they continued to have as adults.
7. “Goblin Market” by Chistina Rossetti
This poem is rather lengthy, but you can share an excerpt from it at your sister’s funeral. Consider sharing the stanza that begins, “There is no friend like a sister, in calm or stormy weather.”
8. “Afterglow” by Helen Lowrie Marshall
If you know that your sibling would want to be remembered with happiness, consider reading “Afterglow” at the funeral.
9. “Miss Me But Let Me Go” by Unknown Author
This poem describes death as an opportunity for the soul to be set free. If your brother or sister suffered from a long illness, this might be the perfect poem to share at the funeral.
10. “God’s Garden” by Melissa Shreve
This lovely poem would be the perfect one to share for a sibling who loved gardening or the outdoors. The last two lines speak of the grief one feels with losing a family member. “It broke our hearts to lose you but you didn’t go alone. For part of us went with you the day God called you home.”
‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Children, Sons, or Daughters
There’s no feeling of devastation equal to losing a child. Here are some poems that can accurately describe the pain of losing a child.
11. “Garden of Stone” by Michael Kaner
When you lose a child, it is common to think about unfulfilled wishes and dreams. You mourn the loss of your child’s life and at the same time realizing that he or she will never go to college, get married, or have a family.
12. “A Childless Father” by Unknown Author
Do you feel sad, shaken, helpless, and angry? If you recently lost a child, you probably feel complex emotions. This poem beautifully articulates the grief that comes from losing a child.
13. “The Dying Child” by John Clare
Did your child die during the cold winter months? You may consider sharing this poem at the funeral.
14. “An Arbor” by Linda Gregerson
“An Arbor” is a complex poem about the accidental death of a child. Even though this poem may not appeal to the masses, it speaks about the futility of trying to figure out why bad things happen in life. Sometimes there are no answers to the questions humans naturally ask.
15. “Endings” by Peggy Allguire
As a mother stares at a photo of herself and her child, she thinks of all the things that her child will never experience. And even though she knows that she must go on with life, she promises to never forget her precious infant.
‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for Partners or Spouses
You may be grieving the loss of a spouse or partner. Here are some poems that describe what it’s like to lose someone extremely close to you.
16. “Music, When Soft Voices Die” by Percy Bysshe Shelley
In this poem, Percy Bysshe Shelley describes the lasting effects of a living thing. Just as you can still enjoy the sweet scent of a flower that was recently removed from a room, you can still experience love after someone dies.
17. “I Loved Her Like the Leaves” by Kakinomoto Hitomaro
While some funeral quotes or poems are hopeful or even joyful in tone, this one speaks the raw truth that many feel when losing a spouse. The last two lines read: “I grieve, yet know no remedy: I pine, yet have no way to meet her.”
18. “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden
This poem was read in the film “Four Weddings and a Funeral.” In it, W.H. Auden describes how hard it is to understand that normal life continues even after the death of a loved one.
19. “Gone From My Sight” by Henry Van Dyke
Henry Van Dyke describes death beautifully in this poem. In it, he compares death to watching a beautiful ship sailing off into the horizon. The vessel is not “gone,” even if others say that it may be. The ship can merely not be seen anymore.
20. “Death Is Nothing at All” by Henry Scott-Holland
One of the stages of grief is denial. Denial is one way your brain copes with trauma. In this poem, “Death is Nothing at All,” the speaker is sure that his lover is not really gone.
‘In Loving Memory’ Poems for a Wedding
Life celebrations such as weddings and graduations can sometimes be bittersweet if a close family member passes away before the event. Here are some “In Loving Memory” poems to print in the program or display at a wedding.
21. “They Walk Beside Us” by Unknown
This short poem reads,
“Those we love don’t walk away.
They walk beside us every day.
Unseen, unheard, but always near.
Still loved, still missed, and very dear.”
You can find lovely prints of this poem on Zazzle.
22. “Although This Chair Looks Empty” by Unknown
This short poem should be displayed on a chair at the event.
“Although this chair looks empty,
It’s filled with all the love
Of those who can’t be with us and
Are watching from above.”
Consider purchasing a print of this verse through Etsy.
23. “Someone Is Missing” by Unknown
Display this poem near an image of an angel. This poem begins,
“Let this Angel be a loving reminder
that someone is missing today,
Someone our hearts still hold on to,
As we travel along life’s way.”
24. “On This Special Day” by Unknown
If rhyming poetry isn’t your style, our final pick is this short, sweet bit of prose about missing those who have gone before us.
“On this special day, we remember all of our loved ones who are not with us. Through the years, their comfort and wisdom have helped to shape our lives. They are here today smiling down on us and watching over us to ensure a wonderful ceremony and a long, enduring life together. We love them with all our hearts, and they will always be in our thoughts and prayers.”
While the wording of this piece is lovely, you might consider writing something personal to print in the wedding program. Even if you aren’t comfortable putting your thoughts into words, people would rather read your attempts instead of something you found on the internet.
Where Can You Share an ‘In Loving Memory’ Poem?
Depending on the situation and method of disposition, you might only have a few days to plan the funeral for a loved one. This isn’t much time to plan an event – especially if the death was unexpected and the deceased didn’t leave behind a funeral plan.
We hope that we could help a bit by giving you a few ideas for poems to use at the service. But, now that you have chosen a poem, you might be wondering where and how you can share it.
Share it at the service
You might consider sharing the poem you found at your loved one’s service. Ask a family member or friend to recite the poem. If you can’t find anyone who wants to share, ask the officiant to read the poem on behalf of the family.
Print it in the program
Consider printing the poem in the funeral program – regardless of whether it is read during the service or not.
Share the poem on your social media pages
Social media isn’t just for sharing your political views and photos of what you ate for dinner. Having a social media page also allows you to share pictures, memes, and yes, even poetry that you enjoy.
Whether your loved one passed days, weeks, months, or years ago, if you run across a poem that describes exactly how you feel about the loss, consider sharing it on your social media accounts.
Share on an online memorial page
Online memorial pages allow families to inform others about a death and share details regarding end-of-life services. While online memorial pages serve this practical purpose, they can be utilized for so much more.
Encourage visitors to use the page to share stories and photos of happy times. Send an invitation to the page to friends of the deceased who may have known your loved one at other times during their life than you did.
An online memorial page also gives you a forum for sharing such things as a poem or song. These pieces may be about loss or grief. You might also consider sharing favorite pieces that your loved one enjoyed.
Include a poem in your thank you cards
It’s customary to send thank you notes to friends and extended family members who offered kindness immediately after the death of your loved one. Consider including a poem that moved you within the thank you note.
Find Your Favorite Poem
You’ve heard the proverb, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Not every poem on this list will speak to every person who is grieving.
What are your favorite funeral poems? Which one would you like to have read at your funeral?
Incorporate lines of these poems into keepsakes to remember your loved one by, such as "in loving memory" car and window decals or shadow boxes.