Poems
Classic poems for a funeral or wedding program, with a note on what each one says and when it fits. Public domain in the US, so you can print and share them.
A poem says in a few lines what you may not find words for yourself. Here are classic English poems for a funeral and for a wedding, each with a page on what it says, when it fits and how to read it aloud.
- Funeral: Crossing the Bar by Tennyson, Remember by Christina Rossetti and Death Is Nothing at All by Henry Scott Holland. See all poems for a funeral program.
- Wedding: How Do I Love Thee? by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Sonnet 116 by Shakespeare. See all poems for a wedding program.
Every text is copied from an early printing, and that printing is named on the poem's page.
For a wedding
For a funeral
Frequently asked questions
Can I print these poems in my program?
Yes. The poets here died long ago and their work is in the public domain in the United States. You can print a poem in your program, read it aloud and share it online. The poet's name goes under the poem; the program adds it for you.
What about a poem by a living poet?
A modern poem is protected by copyright. To print it you need permission from the rights holder, often the poet or the publisher. Paste the text into the builder and it gets a credit line with the poet's name.
Who reads the poem?
A family member or a close friend. At a wedding it is often someone from the wedding party, or one of the couple reads it to the other. A poem can also sit in the program without being read, next to a photo or on the back page.
How long does a poem take?
Read slowly, most poems here take about a minute. Death Is Nothing at All runs closer to ninety seconds. A longer poem can be cut to a few stanzas; say in the program that it is an excerpt.