Selecting the right readings for a funeral can bring comfort, reflection, and a heartfelt tribute to a loved one.
At Respect Funeral Services, we understand the significance of choosing words that resonate deeply with families and honour the memory of those who have passed.
This post presents 20 of the most popular funeral readings in the UK, each provided in full to help you find the perfect words for a meaningful service.
Why Choose a Funeral Reading?
Funeral readings offer a moment to pause, reflect, and connect during a service.
Whether drawn from poetry, scripture, or prose, they express emotions like love, loss, and hope.
In the UK, readings are often selected to reflect the deceased’s personality, beliefs, or cultural heritage.
Below, we’ve curated 20 cherished funeral readings, complete with their full text, frequently chosen for their emotional depth and universal appeal.
1. Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep – Mary Elizabeth Frye
A beloved poem offering comfort with its message of eternal presence.
Full Reading:
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow,
I am the diamond glints on snow,
I am the sun on ripened grain,
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft star-shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
Readings for funerals 1/20, why it’s chosen: Its uplifting tone reassures mourners that their loved one remains with them in spirit.
2. Psalm 23 – The Lord is My Shepherd (King James Version)
A cornerstone of Christian funerals, this psalm speaks of divine guidance and peace.
Full Reading:
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Readings for funerals 2/20, why it’s chosen: Its familiar words provide solace and a sense of divine care.
3. Death is Nothing at All – Henry Scott Holland
A prose piece that comforts by framing death as a continuation of life.
Full Reading:
Death is nothing at all.
I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other,
That, we still are.
Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.
Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.
Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.
All is well.
Readings for funerals 3/20, why it’s chosen: It encourages mourners to maintain their connection with the deceased.
4. Remember Me – Margaret Mead
A poem celebrating life’s joys and encouraging remembrance through love.
Full Reading:
To the living, I am gone.
To the sorrowful, I will never return.
To the angry, I was cheated,
But to the happy, I am at peace,
And to the faithful, I have never left.
I cannot speak, but I can listen.
I cannot be seen, but I can be heard.
So as you stand upon a shore gazing at a beautiful sea,
As you look upon a flower and admire its simplicity,
Remember me.
In your heart, your thoughts, your memories of the times we loved,
The times we cried, the times we fought, the times we laughed.
For if you always think of me, I will never have gone.
Readings for funerals 4/20, why it’s chosen: Its balanced tone appeals to a wide range of emotions.
5. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 – A Time for Everything (King James Version)
A biblical passage reflecting on the cycles of life.
Full Reading:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Readings for funerals 5/20, why it’s chosen: Its universal message resonates across faiths and philosophies.
6. Funeral Blues – W.H. Auden
A poem capturing the raw grief of loss, popularised by Four Weddings and a Funeral.
Full Reading:
Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever: I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.
Readings for funerals 6/20, why it’s chosen: Its vivid imagery expresses profound sorrow, making it relatable.
7. She Is Gone (He Is Gone) – David Harkins
A versatile poem adaptable for any gender, offering hope and reflection.
Full Reading:
You can shed tears that she is gone
Or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she’ll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all she’s left.
Your heart can be empty because you can’t see her
Or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she’s gone
Or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
Or you can do what she’d want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
Readings for funerals 7/20, why it’s chosen: Its duality of grief and gratitude makes it widely appealing.
8. John 14:1-6 – Jesus Comforts His Disciples (King James Version)
A New Testament reading offering hope of eternal life.
Full Reading:
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Readings for funerals 8/20, why it’s chosen: It reassures mourners of a heavenly reunion.
9. Afterglow – Author Unknown
A short poem focusing on leaving happy memories.
Full Reading:
I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve, to dry before the sun;
Of happy memories that I leave when life is done.
Readings for funerals 9/20, why it’s chosen: Its brevity and positivity suit reflective moments.
10. The Life That I Have – Leo Marks
A tender poem originally written for wartime, now a funeral favourite.
Full Reading:
The life that I have
Is all that I have
And the life that I have
Is yours.
The love that I have
Of the life that I have
Is yours and yours and yours.
A sleep I shall have
A rest I shall have
Yet death will be but a pause
For the peace of my years
In the long green grass
Will be yours and yours and yours.
Readings for funerals 10/20, why it’s chosen: Its romantic tone suits tributes to partners or loved ones.
11. Crossing the Bar – Alfred, Lord Tennyson
A poem reflecting on death as a peaceful journey.
Full Reading:
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 tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have crost the bar.
Readings for funerals 11/20, why it’s chosen: Its nautical metaphor resonates with those seeking peace.
12. Irish Blessing – Author Unknown
A traditional blessing often used at Catholic or Irish funerals.
Full Reading:
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
Readings for funerals 12/20, why it’s chosen: Its warm, hopeful tone suits various services.
13. Let Me Go – Christina Rossetti
A gentle poem about releasing the deceased with love.
Full Reading:
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no rites in a gloom-filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – but not too long
And not with your head bowed low.
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me – but let me go.
For this is a journey that we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan,
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart,
Go to the friends we know
And bury your sorrows in doing good deeds.
Miss me – but let me go.
Readings for funerals 13/20, why it’s chosen: Its message of freedom comforts mourners.
14. If I Should Go – Joyce Grenfell
A light-hearted poem about moving on with joy.
Full Reading:
If I should go before the rest of you,
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone,
Nor when I’m gone speak in a Sunday voice,
But be the usual selves that I have known.
Weep if you must,
Parting is hell,
But life goes on,
So sing as well.
Readings for funerals 14/20, why it’s chosen: Its cheerful tone lifts spirits during a service.
15. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is Patient (King James Version)
A biblical passage celebrating the enduring nature of love.
Full Reading:
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Readings for funerals 15/20, why it’s chosen: Its focus on love suits tributes to close relationships.
16. Feel No Guilt in Laughter – Author Unknown
A poem encouraging joy in memories.
Full Reading:
Feel no guilt in laughter, she’d know how much you care.
Feel no sorrow in a smile that she’s not here to share.
You cannot grieve forever; she would not want you to.
She’d hope that you could carry on the way you always do.
So, talk about the good times and the way you showed you cared,
The days you spent together, all the happiness you shared.
Let memories surround you, a word someone may say
Will suddenly recapture a time, an hour, a day,
That brings her back as clearly as though she were still here,
And fills you with the feeling that she is always near.
For if you keep those moments, you will never be apart
And she will live forever locked safely within your heart.
Readings for funerals 16/20, why it’s chosen: It promotes healing through joyful remembrance.
17. Remember – Christina Rossetti
A classic poem reflecting on love and memory.
Full Reading:
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann’d:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.
Readings for funerals 17/20, why it’s chosen: Its gentle tone balances memory and acceptance.
18. Intimations of Immortality – William Wordsworth (Selected Stanzas)
A reflective poem often used for its philosophical depth.
Full Reading (Selected):
What though the radiance which was once so bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass, of glory in the flower;
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;
In the primal sympathy
Which having been must ever be;
In the soothing thoughts that spring
Out of human suffering;
In the faith that looks through death,
In years that bring the philosophic mind.
Readings for funerals 18/20, why it’s chosen: Its focus on resilience appeals to reflective services.
19. A Song of Living – Amelia Josephine Burr
A poem celebrating a life well-lived.
Full Reading:
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have sent up my gladness on wings, to be lost in the blue of the sky.
I have run and leaped with the rain, I have taken the wind to my breast.
My cheek like a drowsy child to the face of the earth I have pressed.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I have kissed young Love on the lips, I have heard his song to the end.
I have struck my hand like a seal in the loyal hand of a friend.
I have known the peace of heaven, the comfort of work done well.
I have longed for death in the darkness and risen alive out of hell.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
I give a share of my soul to the world where my course is run.
I know that another shall finish the task I must leave undone.
I know that no flower, nor flint was in vain on the path I trod.
As one looks on a face through a window, through life I have looked on God.
Because I have loved life, I shall have no sorrow to die.
Readings for funerals 19/20, why it’s chosen: Its joyful tone celebrates a fulfilled life.
20. Gone From My Sight – Henry Van Dyke
A poem likening death to a ship sailing away.
Full Reading:
I am standing upon the seashore. A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning 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 and 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 at my side 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.
Readings for funerals 20/20, why it’s chosen: Its metaphor offers comfort and a sense of continuation.
How Respect Funeral Services Can Help
At Respect Funeral Services, we are here to support you in creating a personalised and meaningful farewell.
Whether you need guidance on selecting readings, planning a service, or incorporating cultural traditions, our compassionate team is dedicated to helping you honour your loved one.
Reach Out For Support With Respect Today
Ready to put together the perfect ceremony? Contact Respect Funeral Services at 01427 612992 or contact us directly at respectgb.co.uk/contact to learn how we can help you plan a dignified, eco-friendly farewell.
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After Care
If you need extra help, there are excellent resources available:
- NHS: The NHS offers advice on coping with bereavement, including mental health support. Visit their page on Dealing with Grief and Loss for practical tips and helpline details.
- Respect: the Respect Guide, What To Do When Someone Dies covers benefits like the Bereavement Support Payment.
- Cruse Bereavement Support: A UK charity dedicated to grief, Cruse provides free counselling and resources. Learn more at cruse.org.uk.
- Bereavement Advice: Documents needed for arranging a funeral
- GOV: See if you qualify for a Funeral Expense Payment from the government.
