Funeral poems are used during a funeral service to commemorate the passing of a loved one. However, you do not want to pick any poem to read, it has to have a special meaning. It is important to learn how to choose a poem for a funeral service before selecting a poem to read as part of your eulogy.
Poems are used to express the emotions of the people left behind, or the messages they have to the deceased. Whatever the purpose of funeral poems, one thing is for sure: they are expressions of love. If you are speaking at a funeral for the first time you may need help choosing a poem for a funeral. Writing, or selecting, a funeral poem is a very personal task and it varies from one person to another. The following information will help you select the perfect funeral poem.
How to Choose a Poem for a Funeral Service
The most important factor to consider when choosing a poem for a funeral service is to decide on the purpose of the poem. By knowing what point you want to express, and the reaction you want to elicit, this will help you decide what poem to select to read at the funeral service. The following are some of the most common reasons poems are read during a eulogy.
1) Share memories
A funeral poem is a unique way to share your memories and describe your relationship with the deceased. Was the person who passed away a friend, girlfriend or boyfriend, spouse, parent, sibling, child, grandparent, teacher, boss, coworker, or someone else? No matter what your relationship, a poem can be used to describe the moments you shared together. For example, if you would like to read a poem about your mother, you can select a poem written about a mother who lived her life dedicated to raising her children. Or, you may be reading a poem at the funeral of a teacher. In this instance you may select a poem about a leader in the community who influenced and positively impacted the lives of everyone he or she knew. Remember that it is not necessary to read personal stories at the funeral; a poem can be used to share your memories and describe how the person influenced your life.
2) Honor the deceased
Another reason to choose a poem for a funeral is to honor the deceased and highlight their greatest qualities. Think about what things remind you the most about the deceased person. It may be personality traits, physical features, or their interests. For example, if the person had an outgoing personality and was always smiling you could select a poem about a cheerful person. Or, the poem may not be about a person at all, but may be about happiness and laughter; which, can be related to the person. Another way to honor the deceased would be to use the poem to share his or her interests with the people at the funeral. For example, the deceased person may have loved the outdoors and a poem about nature may be a good choice to read at his or her funeral.
3) Express emotions
Finally, one of the most common reasons for reading a poem at a funeral is to express the emotions that the person reading the poem is feeling. When faced with the loss of a loved one it can be very difficult to put in to words how much the deceased person was loved. It is also difficult to express the sadness and pain felt over the loss. Reading a funeral poem can help to express your emotions without having to think of the words yourself. There are numerous poems that have been written about love and loss that would be a good choice for reading at a funeral.
The three points above are a few of the main reasons why you would read a poem at a loved one’s funeral. Understanding what point you want to express to the audience at the funeral will help you choose the perfect poem for a funeral service. Now that you know the types of funeral poems available, we recommend that you read our other articles on selecting funeral poems that are listed below. You will find dozens of poems that are appropriate for reading at a funeral service.
