Figuring out what to say during a memorial service can be challenging. Whether it's a celebration of life gathering, a sea burial ceremony, or any other type of memorial service, finding the right words is important.
In this post, we'll provide 25 specific recommendations for quotes and poems that can be included during a memorial service.
We've broken up this list of 25 ideas into different themes to help you find the right words based on your intention.
As mentioned above, this list is broken up into different themes. So, if you know the feeling you are hoping to evoke or honor during your turn to speak, skip ahead to a section that matches.
“The song is ended, but the melody lingers on.” – Irving Berlin
"The boundaries between life and death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where one ends and where the other begins?" – Edgar Allan Poe
“Those we love and lose are always connected by heartstrings into infinity.” – Terri Guillemets
“Death is not the end. It is simply the beginning of a new journey.” – Unknown
"Do not stand at my grave and weep" by Mary Elizabeth Frye:
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 circled flight.
I am the soft stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there; I did not die.
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die.” – from the Thomas Campbell poem "Hallowed Ground"
“Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” – Haruki Murakami
“What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller
“Grief is the price we pay for love.” – Unknown
"Let me go" by Christina Georgina Rossetti:
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 for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It’s all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
“When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.” – Unknown
“When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.” – from the Kahlil Gibran poem "On Joy and Sorrow"
“Remember me and smile, for it’s better to forget than to remember me and cry.” – Dr. Seuss
“The memory of a good person is a blessing.” – Proverbs 10:7
"I’m There Inside Your Heart" by Unknown:
Right now I’m in a different place
And though we seem apart
I’m closer than I ever was,
I’m there inside your heart.
I’m with you when you greet each day
And while the sun shines bright
I’m there to share the sunsets, too
I’m with you every night.
I’m with you when the times are good
To share a laugh or two,
And if a tear should start to fall
I’ll still be there for you.
And when that day arrives
That we no longer are apart,
I’ll smile and hold you close to me,
Forever in my heart.
“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
“The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example.” – Benjamin Disraeli
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
"The Life That I Have" by Leo Marks:
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.
"Not, How Did He Die, But How Did He Live?," by Unknown:
Not, how did he die, but how did he live?
Not, what did he gain, but what did he give?
These are the units to measure the worth
Of a man as a man, regardless of his birth.
Nor what was his church, nor what was his creed?
But had he befriended those really in need?
Was he ever ready, with words of good cheer,
To bring back a smile, to banish a tear?
Not what did the sketch in the newspaper say,
But how many were sorry when he passed away?
“May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back.” – Irish Blessing
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha
"Warm Summer Sun" by Mark Twain:
Warm summer sun,
Shine kindly here,
Warm southern wind,
Blow softly here.
Green sod above,
Lie light, lie light.
Good night, dear heart,
Good night, good night.
"You left us peaceful memories. Your love is still our guide, and though we cannot see you, you are always at our side." – from the Ron Tranmer poem "Broken Chain"
“May you find peace in the presence of loved ones and in the stillness of nature.” – Unknown
In conclusion, there are countless quotes and poems you can pull from if you are speaking at a memorial service. Whether you want to highlight happy memories, shed tears, or share in humor, these recommendations will hopefully help.
