Funeral program

Funeral poems

A poem at a funeral works when it is short, easy to hear aloud and true to the person. Below are two classic poems in the public domain, with their authors and dates, and original verses written for this page that you may read or print freely. Always check with the officiant where a reading fits in the service.

Updated September 30, 2026

On this page

The examples on this page were written for TributePen. The people, names and details in them are invented: use them as a starting point, never as someone's real story.

How to choose

Read it aloud first. A poem that looks beautiful on paper can be hard to follow when heard once.
Match the beliefs. Some poems speak of heaven or God; others speak only of memory and nature.
Match the person. A sailor, a gardener, a reader: the right image does half the work.
Credit the author in the program, with the title.

Two classic poems in the public domain

"Remember," by Christina Rossetti (published 1862). A sonnet in which the speaker asks to be remembered, but would rather be forgotten than be the cause of lasting sadness. It suits families who want to give mourners permission to smile.

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.

"Crossing the Bar," by Alfred, Lord Tennyson (published 1889). A calm poem about death as a tide carrying a boat out to sea; it speaks of meeting a "Pilot," which many read as God. It suits sailors, fishermen and people of faith.

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 tho' from out our bourne 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.

Original verses you may use freely

These short poems were written for TributePen. You may read them, print them in a program or adapt them without asking.

Her Kitchen Light

warm

Her kitchen light was always on,
the kettle warm, the table laid,
and every trouble that we brought
grew smaller in the chair she made.
The light is off. The chair is still.
But when we set a place for one
who needs a meal, or needs a word,
we find her kitchen light still on.

For a mother, read by a child or grandchild · 56 words · 276 characters

Why it works: a concrete image of home, and an ending that turns memory into something the family does. Make it yours: change the kitchen for her own place: the garden, the porch, the sewing room.

The Tools on the Wall

simple

He hung his tools in perfect rows,
a hammer, level, saw and square,
and taught us all that careful hands
can mend most things, if someone's there.
We cannot mend the empty space.
We try; we measure twice, like him.
And where we cannot make it right,
we make it level, straight and trim.

For a father, a practical man · 54 words · 286 characters

Why it works: plain language for a plain-spoken man, with the family's own lesson inside. Make it yours: use his tools, his truck, his fishing gear.

Leave the Door Open

lyrical

Leave the door open, she used to say,
someone might need to come in.
So we have left it open today,
and here we all are, again.
Laugh at the table, sing out of tune,
tell the old story once more.
She would have loved to see this room.
Leave the door open. Leave the door.

For a friend, at a celebration of life · 56 words · 271 characters

Why it works: her own saying becomes the refrain, and the room becomes part of the poem. Make it yours: build the refrain from something your friend said.

What Grandpa Knew

simple

Grandpa knew the names of birds,
and how to tie a line,
and how to sit for hours and wait
and say that it was fine.
He knew that I was scared of dark.
He left the hall light on.
I'll leave it on for someone too
now Grandpa's gone.

For a grandparent, read by a young grandchild · 50 words · 230 characters

Why it works: short lines a child can read, with one tender detail. Make it yours: a young reader may prefer to read only half; that is fine.

In the program

Print the poem on the back panel of the funeral program, with the title and author. In the order of service, list it as "Reading – [title] – [reader's name]."

Common questions

Can I print any poem in a funeral program?

Poems in the public domain can be reprinted freely. In the United States, that generally includes works published before 1931. For a recent poem, ask the publisher for permission or print only the title and author and read it aloud.

How long should a funeral poem be?

Short enough to read in a minute or two. Fourteen to twenty lines is a comfortable length for most readers and listeners.

Who reads the poem at a funeral?

Often a grandchild, a close friend or a family member who does not want to give the eulogy. A poem is a good role for someone who wants to take part without writing a speech.