Funeral Speech (Eulogy) Poems

My Mum died a few days ago and I have to give a speech her funeral. Are there any poems or quotes that you think may be appropriate?

I am so sorry to hear the sad sad news about your Mum.

This is a really nice blessing that was used at my Aunt Molly's funeral

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

- Traditional gaelic blessing

It was also written in the back of one of my leaving cards by my old boss.

We have put together an article on the main Presentation Helper site How to structure a Funeral Speech which many people have found very useful

I have also come across this Old Indian Prayer that seems quite suitable

Should your blanket be torn,
May your breezes blow warm,
May your pleasure be what you find.
May the burdens you bear
Like your bounty-be shared
May you leave something good behind

May the sky and the land
Rise to your command
May your senses come like the night.
Live in peace with the Earth
As in death-As in birth
May you prosper, and have a good life.

Here is another nice line

"The song is ended, but the melody lingers on..."
Irving Berlin

This is a very powerful poem W H Auden
From The Twelve Songs

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a a juicy bone,
Silance the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policeman wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I though that love would last for ever : I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now : put out ever one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

It is a very emotional one so I am not sure how well it could be used, but should probably be done with care.

A nice one if the deceased has come from Scotland is the poem "My heart is in the highlands" by Robert Burns.

I can imagine that this would go down very well at a funeral of someone who was brought up in Scotland and has moved away.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer -
A-chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North
The birth place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains high cover'd with snow;
Farewell to the straths and green valleys below;
Farewell to the forrests and wild-hanging woods;
Farwell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer
Chasing the wild deer, and following the roe;
My heart's in the Highlands, whereever I go.

This is a lovely poem that I was sent by a dear friend when I was grieving for the death of my brother. I am not sure how well it would work at a funeral, but it certainly is a lovely poem

It is called "Do not stand by my grave and weep" and was written by Mary Frye in 1932.

A full version of the text can be found at http://www.cantusquercus.com/9611text.htm

------
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!)

This is another one that may work

All Is Well

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by my old familiar name,
Speak to me in the easy way which you always used
Put no difference in your tone,
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was,
Let it be spoken without effect, without the trace of shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It it the same as it ever was, there is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near,
Just around the corner.
All is well.

By Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918)
Canon of St Paul's Cathedral

This was an Indian Prayer that Dad wanted read out at his funeral. I think that it came from is days as a scout leader in the 1940s.

An Indian Prayer

Creator of life and light,
We prise thee this day for the beauty of thy world,
for sunshine and flowers,
storm-cloud and starry night,
for the radiance of dawn and the last smouldering calm of the sunset.

We thank thee for physical joys,
for the ecsatcy of swift motion,for deep water to swim in,
For the goodly smell of rain on dry ground,
for hills to climb and hard work to do,
for all the skill of hand and eye,
for music that lifts our hearts in one breath to heaven,
for the grasp of a friend,
for the gracious loveliness of children,

for all these thy sacrements of beauty and joy,
we thank thee our Lord and God.

I had searched for this Indian Prayer on the internet a few times, but I have never found it. I have just dug it out from Dad's funeral service over 12 years ago.

Please help. My Mother-in-law passed away yesterday and for personal reasons the family wish me to conduct the service this Friday. I need to know which bible passages are relevant and a general guide to follow. Many thanks.
Dave.

I have just picked up your message. There are a couple of passages in Corinthians that are relevant

1 CORINTHIANS 15: 51-57 O death, where is thy sting?

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I shall have a look later and see if I can find some others

The other one that is widely used is Psalm 23 - The Lord's my Shepherd

1: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2: He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3: He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4: Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5: Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6: Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

The full text for the bible reading for a funeral is

1 Corinthians 15.1-26,35-38,42-44a,53-end

I should remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you – unless you have come to believe in vain.

For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace towards me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them – though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.

Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ – whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

But someone will ask, 'How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?' Fool! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. And as for what you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be, but a bare seed, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body.

For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:

'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'
'Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?'

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.

This is a Passage from Ecclesiasticus 38 verses 19 to 23

38:19. For of sadness cometh death, and it overwhelmeth the strength, and the sorrow of the heart boweth down the neck.

38:20. In withdrawing aside sorrow remaineth: and the substance of the poor is according to his heart.

38:21. Give not up thy heart to sadness, but drive it from thee: and remember the latter end.

38:22. Forget it not: for there is no returning, and thou shalt do him no good, and shalt hurt thyself.

38:23. Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so: yesterday for me, and to day for thee.

This passage is quite often used at funerals. It is John 6.35-40

Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and anyone who comes to me I will never drive away; for I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.

And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

This is indeed the will of my Father, that all who see the Son and believe in him may have eternal life; and I will raise them up on the last day.'

Im Stuck On A Speech For My Grandmother , Though I Have Only Known Her For The Last Ten Years, As My Mother Was A War Child, And We Looked For Her ,and What An Addition To My Life.

Steve

Firstly I must say that I am sorry to hear your loss. I lost my mother three months ago and I too had to prepare a speech for a lost one.

I think that what you have already put down is a fascinating story and perhaps the best way to give the speech is to tell the story of your grandmother as you see it. This should make it personal and very touching.

Start with the search, about how you wanted to know more, about how you wondered and one day you started to search.

Tell about the joy of the finding your grandmother and paint the picture of what you found - her characteristics, her quirks, her happiness. Talk about what it meant to you.

Tell a story about something that you did over the past ten years.

Do not dwell too much on the details of her death. It is very much in your minds right now, but it is better to remeber the life than the process of dieing.

End up with saying a goodbye, and that you will miss her.

I hope that this helps you. I would be fascinated to hear more of this story.

Kind regards

My grandad died yesterday and really would like to find a nice poem to read at the funeral. I have looked and looked on the internet but have found nothing. Can anyone help? Annabelle

Sorry to hear about your Grandad.

If you could provide a little information about him it would help to track down something about him. - Did he have any special interests for example?

Any clues that you could provide and I will see what I can find

Thanks

This is a poem that I have found - not relavant to Anabelle's post but quite a good poem.

Ah,Are You Digging On My Grave
by: Thomas Hardy

"Ah, are you digging on my grave,
My loved one? - planting rue?"
- "No: yesterday he went to wed
One of the brightest wealth has bred.
'It cannot hurt her now,' he said,
'That I should not be true.'"

"Then who is digging on my grave,
My nearest dearest kin?"
- "Ah, no: they sit and think, 'What use!
What good will planting flowers produce?
No tendance of her mound can loose
Her spirit from Death's gin.'"

"But someone digs upon my grave?
My enemy? - prodding sly?"
- "Nay: when she heard you had passed the Gate
That shuts on all flesh soon or late,
She thought you no more worth her hate,
And cares not where you lie.

"Then, who is digging on my grave?
Say -- since I have not guessed!"
-- "O it is I, my mistress dear,
Your little dog , who still lives near,
And much I hope my movements here
Have not disturbed your rest?"

"Ah yes! You dig upon my grave...
Why flashed it not to me
That one true heart was left behind!
What feeling do we ever find
To equal among human kind
A dog's fidelity!"

"Mistress, I dug upon your grave
To bury a bone, in case
I should be hungry near this spot
When passing on my daily trot.
I am sorry, but I quite forgot
It was your resting place."