Grief is a deeply personal and universal experience, touching every heart at some point in life. It is a profound emotion, often difficult to put into words, yet poets throughout history have managed to capture its depth in powerful lines. A short poem about grief can provide solace, a sense of understanding, and a reminder that no one is alone in their sorrow.
Many short poems about grief and loss explore both the pain of mourning and the journey toward healing, offering comfort through poetic expression. Some of the most poignant poems about grief and loss of a loved one reflect on the emptiness left behind, while poems about death and grief remind us of the universal nature of loss and the enduring presence of memory.
Below are ten short poems about grief that beautifully express the multifaceted nature of grief.
“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep”
– 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.
“When Great Trees Fall”
– Maya AngelouWhen great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
and even elephants lumber after safety.
“Nothing Gold Can Stay”
– Robert Frost
Nature’s first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf’s a flower;
But only so an hour.
“Funeral Blues”
– W.H. Auden
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 forever: I was wrong.
“Remember”
– Christina Rossetti
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.
“In Blackwater Woods”
– Mary Oliver
To live in this world,
you must be able to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.
“A Part of Me”
– Lang Leav
You will always be a part of me,
and I will forever carry you in my heart.
Though time may pass and life moves on,
your memory will never depart.
“Separation”
– W.S. Merwin
Your absence has gone through me
Like thread through a needle.
Everything I do is stitched with its color.
I cannot see the world without your hue.
“On Death
– Kahlil Gibran
For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind
and to melt into the sun?
And when the Earth shall claim your limbs,
then shall you truly dance.
“She Is Gone”
– David Harkins
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 will come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all that she has left.
Looking for more poems to cope with grief? Explore our short poems for funerals. Or, if you’re seeking inspiration, check out our short inspirational poems.
Grief is an ever-changing journey, deeply intertwined with love and remembrance. Poems about grief and healing provide comfort by acknowledging the pain while guiding us toward acceptance.
Many poems about grief and love highlight the enduring bond that transcends loss, reminding us that love does not end with death.
Whether reading a famous poem about grief or discovering new verses that speak to the heart, poetry continues to be a powerful source of solace, helping us navigate loss with understanding and grace.
