Other than having a nice poem or a hymn printed on their loved ones’ single or double headstone, a lot of people also like to use them at the funeral. The extraordinary thing about hymns and poems is that they allow us to fully express our emotions and say goodbye to our loved one and that too, using the most beautiful and moving words.

One could say that the singing of a hymn or poem is deeply rooted in religion but over the years, a lot of poems have been written that don’t necessarily reference any religion. Being able to pay tribute to our loved one in such a beautiful way is why even today, hymns and poems are still quite common at funerals.

Great hymns for a funeral

If we’re being honest, there are just too many great hymns to list here but, we will try to list the ones that we found the most heart-touching;

Ave Maria

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and in the hour of our death. Amen.”

The Lord Is My Shepherd (Psalm 23)

“The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
 He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
 The quiet waters by.

My soul He doth restore again,
 And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
 E’en for His own name’s sake…”

Jerusalem

This part is often seen on granite memorials in the UK;

“And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England’s mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England’s pleasant pastures seen?”

How Great Thou Art

“O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed…”

Aide With Me

“Abide with me, fast falls the eventide
The darkness deepens Lord, with me abide
When other helpers fail and comforts flee
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me

Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away
Change and decay in all around I see
O Thou who changest not, abide with me…”

Great poems for a funeral

Poets have been writing funeral poems as soon as humankind learned to read and write. Today, there is countless amount of funeral poems in this world and it is impossible to study all of them but out of the ones we have studied extensively, here are some of our favorites;

Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep – Mary Frye

“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 glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn’s rain…”

Death Is Nothing At All – Canon Henry Scott

“Death is nothing at all
I have only slipped away into the next room
I am I and you are you
Whatever we were to each other
That we are still…”