If you’ve been asked to read at the funeral of someone who loved the sea, you’ll be able to find a choice of poems for sailors’ funerals here. Whether they were in the navy, a merchant, a sailor, a yachtsman or even made model boats, there are plenty of poems that make good funeral readings, messages for condolence cards, or even gravestone epitaphs.
Whether your loved one worked at sea, had maritime hobbies or simply liked to be close to the water, some of the words below could help you remember them.
Popular poems for sailors’ funerals
There are countless poems about sailing, boats and the sea. But some are better suited to funerals than others. Here are some popular poems for sailors’ funerals, which use seafaring scenes and terms to talk about life, death and what might lie beyond.
Sea Fever – John Masefield
“I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face and a grey dawn breaking.
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.”
Sea-Fever is a much-loved poem for a sailor’s funeral. The poem was published in 1902 and it’s been used to remember many sailors and other seafarers since. It talks about being drawn back to the sea, time and time again. Its closing lines refer to a quiet sleep, where the sailor can truly rest, when they pass away.
Crossing the Bar – Alfred Lord Tennyson
“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 though from out our bourn of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crossed the bar.”
This famous sailor funeral poem was written in 1889 by Alfred Lord Tennyson, who was at sea at the time. The poem describes a peaceful life that passes quietly into death. Some think that the Pilot in the poem, who guides the sailor’s way, is a metaphor for God. You can find many versions, like the one in the video above, where the words are sung, rather than read aloud. If you’re looking for a funeral song for a sailor, this could be an option.
I Am Standing Upon the Seashore – Henry Van Dyke
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship, at my side,
spreads her white sails to the moving breeze and starts
for the blue ocean. She is an object of beauty and strength.
I stand and watch her until, at length, she hangs like a speck
of white cloud just where the sea and sky come to mingle with each other.
Then, someone at my side says, "There, she is gone."
Gone where?
Gone from my sight. That is all. She is just as large in mast,
hull and spar as she was when she left my side.
And, she is just as able to bear her load of living freight to her destined port.
Her diminished size is in me -- not in her.
And, just at the moment when someone says, "There, she is gone,"
there are other eyes watching her coming, and other voices
ready to take up the glad shout, "Here she comes!"
And that is dying...”
This poem goes by many names, as it doesn’t have an official title. Some know it by its first line – “I Am Standing Upon the Seashore”. But others will refer to it as “A Parable of Immortality”, “Gone from My Sight” or “What Is Dying?” This is a longer funeral poem about a ship sailing away. It’s written from the point of view of someone standing on the shore, watching a ship grow more and more distant until it is out of sight. Its words are a metaphor for death. Though you might not be able to see where your loved one has gone, it gives hope that they’re on a new and different adventure.
Death Shall Have No Dominion – Dylan Thomas
“And death shall have no dominion.
Under the windings of the sea
They lying long shall not die windily;
Twisting on racks when sinews give way,
Strapped to a wheel, yet they shall not break;
Faith in their hands shall snap in two,
And the unicorn evils run them through;
Split all ends up they shan't crack;
And death shall have no dominion.
And death shall have no dominion.
No more may gulls cry at their ears
Or waves break loud on the seashores;
Where blew a flower may a flower no more
Lift its head to the blows of the rain;
Though they be mad and dead as nails,
Heads of the characters hammer through daisies;
Break in the sun till the sun breaks down,
And death shall have no dominion.”
Death Shall Have No Dominion is a poem about how death, while extremely powerful, cannot control everything. It acts as a reminder that you still have your memories with the person who’s passed and how they left their mark on the world. While the poem isn’t purely about sailing, it uses a lot of maritime imagery, like gulls, waves breaking and seashores. You can read the full poem at Poets.org.
Bilbo’s Last Song – J. R. R. Tolkien
“Day is ended, dim my eyes,
but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship’s beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the Sea.
Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.
Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I’ll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship, my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the Star above my mast!”
Bilbo’s Song is a poem, written by J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings. It’s written from the point of view of Bilbo Baggins while contemplating his approaching death. The words reference ships and the sea, with the speaker setting sail into the unknown. It was later set to music by Donald Swann and Stephen Oliver, which you can hear above and could use as a funeral song for a sailor if you’re looking for appropriate music for the service. You can find more Lord of the Rings funeral poems, songs and quotes here.
The Unknown Shore – Elizabeth Clark Hardy
“Some time at eve when the tide is low,
I shall slip my mooring and sail away,
With no response to the friendly hail
Of kindred craft in the busy bay.
In the silent hush of the twilight pale,
When the night stoops down to embrace the day,
And the voices call in the waters’ flow-
Some time at eve when the tide is low,
I shall slip my mooring and sail away.
Through the purpling shadows that darkly trail
O’er the ebbing tide of the Unknown Sea,
I shall fare me away, with a dip of sail
And a ripple of waters to tell the tale
Of a lonely voyager, sailing away
To the Mystic Isles where at anchor lay
The crafts of those who have sailed before
O’er the Unknown Sea to the Unseen Shore.”
The Unknown Shore is a beautiful sailing poem for a funeral. In the poem, Elizabeth Clark Hardy uses sailing away as a metaphor for death. It’s written from the point of view of someone who’s passed away, speaking about how they’ll “slip their mooring” and “sail away” into an “unknown sea”. You can find the full poem at All Poetry.
More sailors’ poems for funerals
If you’re looking for sailing funeral poems that aren’t quite so well-known as the ones listed above, some of the options we’ve listed below might be better for you. These include some more niche and modern choices that stand out from other sailor’s poems for a funeral.
Pemaquid Point – Mary Oliver-Rotman
“Scatter my ashes at Pemaquid Point,
Let the wind sail them home to the sea.
Cradle of life, be my cradle in death,
And set my spirit free.
Sun will warm the daylight hours;
The lighthouse illume the night.
Waves provide rhythm and gulls give voice —
Music to ease my flight.
Eternal rocks will form my tomb,
Sand my quilt shall be,
Protecting from shipwreck and raging storms,
And I’ll become one with the sea.”
If you’re reading at a cremation funeral service, Pemaquid Point could be an appropriate reading. This is written from the point of view of poet Mary Oliver-Rotman. She shares her wishes for her ashes to be scattered at Pemaquid Point, where they’ll return to the sea on the wind. If you like, you could replace the words “Pemaquid Point” with a location that was important to your loved one.
Safe Harbour – Jennifer Hicock
“The storm has been raging for so long now
Pouring rain, crashing thunder, howling wind
Beating down on this lonely ship
Searching for a place to call home
There was a time; it seems so long ago
The sun shone brightly in the clear blue sky
Looking up from the bow into forever
A gentle breeze, cotton candy clouds
But the storm slowly moved in
A few scattered showers and thunderstorms
Days of downpour, flashes of lightning
With shelter so hard to find
Rainbows still shone, beacons of hope
In the unlikeliest places
Vibrant against a backdrop of gray
A glimpse at the best of times
As the years passed by
The storms changed, getting worse
Getting better, and fading away
But they’d left their mark
A vessel is forever changed
When touched that way
And although you can rebuild
The damage has been done
Horrible storms had been forecast
For the not so distant future
But they wouldn’t hit this ship
Not again, no more damage would be done
The ship will be protected now
Lost no more, tossed about no longer
Safe in a harbor to forever call home.”
Safe Harbour is a funeral poem for a sailor, and with 8 stanzas, it suits longer funeral readings. The poem describes the journey of life, with both ups and downs, and how people can’t face hardships after death. It gives a sense of peace and rest.
Short funeral poems for sailors
If you’re looking for a short funeral poem for a sailor (perhaps you only have a short amount of time for your reading, or you’re feeling nervous about it), the options below might work for you.
Requiem – Robert Louis Stevenson
“Under the wide and starry sky,
Dig the grave and let me lie.
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will
This be the verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he longed to be;
Home is the sailor, home from sea,
And the hunter home from the hill.”
Requiem is a short poem that shares Robert Louis Stevenson’s thoughts on mortality and death. While it isn’t explicitly about seafaring, it does reference a sailor making their way home from the sea. At just 8 lines long, and with a simple rhyme scheme, it could also make a good choice of epitaph for a gravestone.
Sea Calm – Langston Hughes
“How still,
How strangely still
The water is today.
It is not good
For water
To be so still that way.”
Sea Calm by Langston Hughes isn’t about sailing, but it is a good choice of funeral poem about the sea. The poem talks about the water feeling strangely still, which reflects how some people feel after losing a loved one.
Navy funeral poems
O Captain! My Captain! – Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! My Captain! is a very popular poem by Walt Whitman. It’s been read and referenced countless times, with one of the best-known recitals being read by Robin Williams in the film “Dead Poets Society”. The poem mourns the death of a captain. You can find the full poem at the Poetry Foundation.
The Old Sailor – Margaret Elizabeth Sangster
“I've crossed the bar at last, mates,
My longest voyage is done;
And I can sit here, peaceful,
And watch th' setting sun
A-smilin' kind of glad like
Upon the waves so free.
My longest voyage is done, mates,
But oh, the heart of me,
Is out where sea meets skyline!
My longest voyage is done. . . .
But — can I sit, in peace, mates,
And watch the settin' sun?”
The Old Sailor by Margaret Elizabeth Sangster makes an appropriate choice of navy veteran funeral poem. It references “Crossing the Bar” by Alfred Lord Tennyson, which is listed above. The poem talks about crossing the “sandbar” between life and the afterlife and so completing the ultimate voyage. Find the poem in full at All Poetry.
Religious sailors’ poems for funerals
If you’re reading at a religious funeral service and are looking for a funeral poem about the sea that also refers to God, you might find one of the poems below is right for you.
Psalm 23 – Sailor’s Paraphrase
“The Lord is my pilot, I shall not drift.
He guides me across the dark waters.
He steers me through deep channels.
He keeps my log.
Yea, though I sail ‘mid the thunders
and tempest of life,
I shall dread no anger, for He is with me;
His love and His care, shelter me.
He prepares a quiet harbour before me.
He anoints the waves with oil
My ship rides calmly.
Surely sunlight and starlight
shall guide me on the voyage I take,
And I will rest in the heaven’s port forever.”
Psalm 23 usually reads “The Lord is my Shepherd” and describes how God leads a person through their life. The Sailor’s Paraphrase is an adaptation of this psalm, replacing pastures with the sea and other elements of the psalm for maritime equivalents. It’s touching when read as a sailor funeral poem, showing how the person who passed was guided by God in everything that they did.
Psalm 107 (The Sailor’s Psalm)
“They that go down to the sea in ships
and occupy their business in great waters;
these men see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep.
For at His word the stormy wind ariseth which lifteth up the waters thereof.
They are carried up to heaven and down again to the deep;
their soul melteth away because of the trouble.
They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end.
So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble,
He delivereth them out of their distress.
For He maketh the storm to cease so that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad because they are at rest;
and so He bringeth them unto the haven where they would be.”
Psalm 107 is sometimes referred to as “the sailor’s psalm”, as part of it refers to those who “go down to the sea in ships” and “occupy their business in great waters”. The psalm speaks of the Lord delivering those who pass from the distress that they’ve experienced in life, ceasing storms and bringing a sense of stillness and calm. You can read the full psalm at Bible Gateway.
When The Last Hand Comes Aboard – Richard John Scarr
“No more a watch to stand, Old Sailor.
For you are drifting on an ebbing tide.
Eight Bells has rung. Last dogwatch done.
Now a new berth awaits you on the other side.
Your ship is anchored in God’s Harbour.
And your ship mates, now of equal rank.
Are mustered on the deck to greet.
And Pipe as you ascend the Plank.”
This is one of the most popular religious funeral poems for sailors. While it’s not taken directly from a religious text, it does refer to God and God’s Harbour. It’s a positive and uplifting funeral poem, referring to the peaceful afterlife that waits “on the other side”. You can read the poem in full at Journey Through Grief.
Funeral poems about the beach
If you’re looking for a funeral poem about the beach, rather than being at sea, one of the options below could be a better fit.
Footprints in the Sand – Robert Longley
“Few things are as fleeting
As footprints in the sand;
Sometimes we walk alone
And sometimes hand in hand.
Both paths tell a story
That waves may wash away;
As long as we have the memory
They live with us each day.
Come to the beach and remember;
Make some footprints of your own,
And think of days now absent
And the memories we’ve known.
The water can be healing –
It always was for me –
Just take time to remember
And I think that you will see.”
Footprints in the Sand is a funeral poem that’s remained popular over the years. It talks about the footprints we leave behind us in the sand as we walk along the beach. This is a metaphor for life and the stories and memories we leave behind when we pass away. You can find more of Longley’s poetry on his website, Sacred Poems.
The Tide Recedes – M. D. Hughes
“The tide recedes,
But leaves behind
Bright seashells on the sand.
The sun goes down,
But gentle warmth
Still lingers on the land.
The music stops,
And yet it echoes on
In sweet refrains;
For every joy that passes,
Something beautiful remains.”
The Tide Recedes is another short beach poem for a funeral. In just 11 lines, poet M. D. Hughes paints a scene where the sun is setting on a beach. It has a calm and peaceful feel to its words, finishing on a reminder that while everything eventually passes, we can still hold onto our memories.
