When a person dies, it can make us think about our own lives and the way we’d like to live them. If you’re planning a funeral, you might want to choose something uplifting to read so people can reflect and feel inspired. Here are a few inspiring funeral poems and readings to help you celebrate the person who has died.
Inspirational readings for funerals
A Shakespeare quote for a courageous person
From Julius Caesar, Act II, Scene II
Julius Caesar says this to his wife, Calphurnia, as she tries to persuade him to stay home for his safety. Caesar is saying that he’ll accept death with courage. For a valiant man like him, death only comes once. Cowardly people, however, face many small ‘deaths’ because they refuse to face up to the challenges of life.
"Cowards die many times before their deaths;
The valiant never taste of death but once.
Of all the wonders that I yet have heard.
It seems to me most strange that men should fear;
Seeing that death, a necessary end,
Will come when it will come."
Famous words about courage and triumph
From a 1910 speech by Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt was a writer, a historian and the 26th president of the United States. With this famous quote, he reminds us to ignore people who criticise from the sidelines. It’s better to try hard and fail, he says, than to know ‘neither victory nor defeat’.
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming…"
Read the full quote here.
A reading about self-doubt and the meaning of success
From Stoner by John Williams, Chapter 17
In this famous novel, William Stoner is a university professor who lives a quiet and uneventful life. At the end of the book, Stoner lies dying and reflects on the past. He senses feelings of self-doubt creep into his mind, but immediately lets them go.
"It seemed to him now that such thoughts were mean, unworthy of what life had been."
A Christian reading about death and togetherness
Meditation XVII by John Donne
John Donne wrote this inspirational funeral reading while he was recovering from a serious illness that nearly took his life. The piece reflects on how people are connected by God – and explains that death is simply part of God’s plan for us all.
"When one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again…"
You might recognise parts of ‘Meditation XVII’. It’s the source of the phrases, ‘For whom the bell tolls’ and ‘No man is an island’.
You can read the full piece here.
An inspiring and comforting Bible verse
1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
This well-known Bible verse might help people make sense of their grief. It reminds us how Jesus died for our sins and was brought back to life. Similarly, people who accept Jesus into their hearts will live again with God.
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."
A Hindu quote about Death
The Bhagavad Gita, chapter 2, verse 20
Here’s an inspiring funeral reading from the most important Hindu holy book. In this passage, Krishna talks about the nature of the soul. He says our souls were there before we were born and will continue to exist after we die.
"The soul is neither born, nor does it ever die; nor having once existed, does it ever cease to be. The soul is without birth, eternal, immortal, and ageless. It is not destroyed when the body is destroyed."
Inspirational poems for funerals
Here are some inspirational poems about life and death. Some are sad, others are uplifting, but all share themes of strength, hope and resilience.
An inspirational and uplifting funeral poem
Yellow Glove by Naomi Shihab Nye
This uplifting poem feels a bit like a short story. It’s about a child who receives a pair of yellow gloves for Christmas. She believes she has lost one of the gloves in a stream, but finds it 3 months later, hanging on a branch. ‘A muddy survivor. A quiet flag.’ ‘Yellow Glove’ would work well as an inspirational funeral poem for someone who stayed strong through tough times.
Read the full poem at Poetry Foundation.
An inspirational poem about the death of a husband or wife
I Will Dance With You Again by Mike Miller
Are you looking for an inspirational poem for the death of a loved one? This piece would make a touching tribute to a partner. It’s tinged with sadness but ends with a message of hope and acceptance. The person in the poem has died. They reflect on the laughter, love and memories they shared with their partner. Then, as they say goodbye, they make a promise: ‘I will dance with you again’.
You’ll find the complete poem here.
A poem that celebrates being yourself
A Center by Ha Jin
Did your loved one live life by their own rules? ‘A Center’ perfectly sums up that attitude. Its message is simple: be yourself and stay strong, no matter what others think.
An inspirational poem for the loss of a sister or brother
To Those I Love by Isla Paschal Richardson
‘To Those I Love’ would suit someone who died young or unexpectedly, whether that’s a sibling, partner or friend. The narrator speaks to their loved ones from the afterlife, promising to love them forever and reminding them that they weren’t afraid to go. ‘I did not fear’, they say. ‘It was leaving you that was so hard to face.’
Read this inspirational grief poem here.
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Photo by Wonderlane on Unsplash.