Finding the perfect poem for a funeral, memorial, or ashes ceremony can feel like searching for a key – something that unlocks emotion, expresses love, and honours a unique life. Poems possess a special ability to articulate feelings of grief, remembrance, and appreciation when our own words seem inadequate.
In the context of a humanist funeral – a non-religious ceremony designed to honour and celebrate a unique life – poems for funerals play a particularly significant role. They help create a personal, meaningful, and fitting tribute, reflecting the person’s values, passions, and the connections they shared. This guide helps you explore how poems for funerals can be thoughtfully selected and incorporated into a Humanist service.
Why Use Poems for Funerals?
Poems offer several benefits in a funeral setting:
- Emotional Resonance: they tap into universal themes of life, loss, love, and memory, resonating deeply with attendees.
- Shared Experience: reading a poem aloud creates a shared moment of reflection and connection among friends and family.
- Personalisation: a carefully chosen poem can perfectly capture an aspect of the person’s personality, interests, or outlook on life.
- Articulate the Inexpressible: they provide language for feelings that are often difficult to articulate, especially during grief.
- Structure and Beauty: poems add structure, rhythm, and moments of beauty to the ceremony.
Humanist Funerals: A Space for Personal Choice
Humanist funerals stand apart because they are entirely non-religious and completely personalised. Led by a trained Humanist Ceremonies celebrant, the focus is always on the person who has died – their unique story, character, and legacy. This philosophy extends to the choice of readings. There’s no set required text; instead, families are encouraged to select secular poems, prose, or quotes that genuinely reflect the individual.
Choosing the Right Poems for a Humanist Funeral
When selecting non religious poems for a Humanist funeral, consider:
- Relevance to the Person: did they have a favourite poem or poet? Did they love nature, science, music, or particular ideas that a poem could reflect? One such example is from Clive James. After being diagnosed with leukaemia and emphysema in 2010, poet and broadcaster, James wrote the beautiful poem ‘Japanese Maple’ about a tree given to him by his daughter. The best choices feel authentic to the person being remembered.
- Centred on Nature or Human Experience: while Humanism respects different beliefs and the ceremony will be inclusive to all, the ceremony itself is non-religious. Choose poems that align with nature or human-centred perspective.
- Desired Tone: are you looking for something comforting, reflective, celebratory, poignant, or perhaps even lighthearted? Select poems that contribute to the overall atmosphere you wish to create.
- Clarity and Accessibility: choose poems with language that is likely to be understood and appreciated by the diverse group of people attending.
A Humanist Ceremonies celebrant is an excellent resource. They have experience and often a collection of suitable secular poems and readings covering a wide range of themes and tones. They can help you find pieces that you might not discover on your own.
Poem Suggestions: Browse our blog posts for poems tailored to different sentiments:
- “Poems of love for a humanist funeral”: https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/funerals/blog/poems-of-love-for-a-humanist-funeral/
- “Uplifting and humorous poems for a humanist funeral”: https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/funerals/blog/uplifting-and-humorous-poems-for-a-humanist-funeral/
Incorporating Poems into the Service
Poems can be woven into the ceremony at natural points:
- At the start, to set the tone.
- Before or after the eulogy or tributes .
- During a quiet moment for reflection, perhaps accompanied by music.
- At the end of the ceremony.
They can be read by the celebrant, family members, or friends – whoever feels comfortable doing so.
Finding a Humanist Celebrant
To plan a humanist funeral that incorporates meaningful poems, the first step is to connect with a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant. They will collaborate with you to understand the person you are honouring and help you craft a ceremony, including selecting readings that feel just right.
Why choose a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant?
You can trust a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant. We’ve been delivering humanist, non-religious funerals for more than 125 years, and are committed to delivering the very best service to the families we work with:
- Gold star training and ongoing CPD
- Code of conduct
- Annually accredited by respected national charity Humanists UK
- DBS checked, and full insured (public liability and professional indemnity)
- Transparent complaints process, in the rare cases it’s needed
- Work as part of local, regional and national networks for support, sharing best practice, and emergency back-up
- Pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further its work towards equality and tolerance
Important Considerations
- Focus: keep the focus on honouring the individual in a non-religious way.
- Inclusivity: choose language and themes that feel welcoming to all attendees.
- Meaning: prioritise poems that hold genuine meaning over those that are simply traditional.
Begin exploring poems for funerals and learn more about creating a personal humanist farewell:
- Find Your Celebrant: use our map to find an accredited Humanist celebrant in your area.
- Understand Humanist Funerals: get a full overview of what makes these ceremonies unique.
Additional Resources
