Are you looking for something inspiring or thought-provoking to read at a funeral?
There’s a wealth of poems about butterflies and death to choose from. Many cultures – and many poets – see these beautiful creatures as symbols of death, rebirth or transformation.
In this article, we share 9 of our favourite butterfly poems for funerals, along with a few quotes and sayings that may bring you comfort.
Poems about butterflies and death
Famous butterfly poems for the death of a loved one
Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon by Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson is one of America’s most famous poets. She often mentioned nature in her works – and butterflies were one of her favourite subjects.
In this poem, she writes about a pair of butterflies that fly away happily, never to be seen again. It might suit a funeral for someone whose partner or close relative had already died.
Two Butterflies went out at Noon—
And waltzed above a Farm—
Then stepped straight through the Firmament
And rested on a Beam—
And then—together bore away
Upon a shining Sea—
Though never yet, in any Port—
Their coming mentioned—be—
If spoken by the distant Bird—
If met in Ether Sea
By Frigate, or by Merchantman—
No notice—was—to me—
A Chrysalis by Mary Emily Neeley Bradley
This tragic butterfly funeral poem focuses on a conversation between a mother and her child. The child finds a chrysalis and the mother explains that it’s a ‘baby butterfly’ that will eventually sprout wings and fly.
However, by the end of the poem, the child has died before seeing the chrysalis transform. The mother is left feeling that she, too, has missed out on the joy of seeing her butterfly reach its full potential.
To-day the butterfly has flown,—
She was not here to see it fly,—
And sorrowing I wonder why
The empty shell is mine alone.
Perhaps the secret lies in this:
I too had found a chrysalis,
And Death that robbed me of delight
Was but the radiant creature’s flight!
Mariposa by Edna St. Vincent Millay
Butterflies have famously short lifespans – some live for as little as two weeks. In ‘Mariposa’, they’re used as a memento mori: a reminder that life is short and we should make the most of it while we can.
Butterfly memorial poems
Butterfly Kisses by John F. Connor
‘Butterfly Kisses’ is told from the point of view of someone who has died. Though the person is gone, they promise to watch from heaven – and send plenty of ‘hugs and butterfly kisses’.
A Brother and a Butterfly by Suzanne Simonovich
Here’s a comforting poem with a religious feel. The person in the poem sees a butterfly and senses that it’s the spirit of a lost loved one. Though it has ‘brother’ in the title, it would work as a butterfly poem for any funeral – whether it’s for a relative, friend or partner.
Read ‘A Brother and a Butterfly’ here.
A butterfly release funeral poem
A Butterfly Release by Jill Haley
Releasing butterflies at a funeral can send a powerful message. It can symbolise death and rebirth through nature – or show that the person who has died is free from illness and pain.
This short butterfly death poem is tailor-made for the moment of release. It feels a little like a prayer and starts with the words, ‘As you release this butterfly in honour of me…’.
Read ‘A Butterfly Release’ here.
Butterfly funeral poems for children and babies
Little Butterfly by Amy Farquhar
Are you looking for a remembrance butterfly poem about the loss of a baby? Amy Farquhar wrote this religious poem in memory of her infant son. She sees him as her ‘sweet little butterfly’ who lived a short, happy life ‘cocooned in all [her] love’.
Goodbye Butterfly by Anastasia Rai
This isn’t necessarily meant as a butterfly poem for the death of a child, but you might find that it brings you comfort anyway. With its tale of a butterfly that flies away too soon, it hints at feelings of loss, regret and – eventually – acceptance.
Read ‘Goodbye Butterfly’ here.
A butterfly poem for Mum’s death
Blue Against Blue by Marjolein Bastin
Like many butterfly poems for funerals, ‘Blue Against Blue’ reflects on the beauty and colour that butterflies bring to our lives. In this piece, the butterfly is a vibrant blue. As it disappears against a bright blue sky, the poet reassures us that it hasn’t gone away – it’s just that we can’t see it anymore.
Read ‘Blue Against Blue’ here.
Stories and sayings about butterflies and death
A butterfly saying about death and rebirth
This is often said to be an old Buddhist quote – but it actually comes from the family film Kung Fu Panda. In any case, it reminds us that death is just another step in the great mystery of life.
Yesterday is a memory, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift, which is why it is called the present. What the caterpillar perceives is the end, to the butterfly is just the beginning. Everything that has a beginning has an ending. Make your peace with that and all will be well.
A Japanese butterfly story about death
In Japanese folk tales, butterflies are often used to represent human souls. This one tells the story of an old man who’s visited by a butterfly on his deathbed. The butterfly turns out to be the spirit of his beloved partner, who had died many years before.
Butterfly memorial quotes
Here’s a butterfly quote about death by the famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. It means that we, like butterflies, should make the most of the time we have.
The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.- Rabindranath Tagore
Change is inevitable – and may eventually lead to a bright future. That’s the message of this quote, which reminds us that caterpillars have to go through change to become beautiful butterflies.
If nothing ever changed there would be no butterflies.- Anonymous
This quote is sometimes mistakenly attributed to the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu. It’s not clear who actually said it – but it has a thought-provoking message nonetheless.
What the caterpillar calls the end, the rest of the world calls a butterfly.- Anonymous
Finally, here’s a short remembrance quote about butterflies and heaven. It would work well as a message for a funeral card or memorial plaque.
Whisper ‘I love you’ to a butterfly and it will fly to heaven to deliver your message.- Anonymous
Photo by Julien Laflaquière on Pexels.