Poems in Memory of Mom

Value of Poetry

Poetry is a source of comfort and healing for the bereaved. Poems that deal with loss are often read when a eulogy is given at a funeral. They provide some solace for both the reader and those present at the service. The poetry evokes emotions and perhaps, even tears. These emotions can be therapeutic for the griever.

Reading Poems in Memory of Mom

When a poem is read to an audience, follow these suggestions:

• Take your time
• Speak clearly
• Project your voice so that all can hear
• Practice aloud beforehand
• Go over difficult or unfamiliar words

Characteristics Of Poems About Mother

Poetry about mothers who were loved and are no longer with us are strong and loving pieces. Even if you do not find a particular selection meaningful, know that the person who wrote it was inspired and most likely received much peace from composing the piece.

Likewise, if you choose to write a poem about your mother, be assured that it will be most significant to you. However, others may be encouraged to hear it read in honor of your mother. Don't be afraid to share your work. Others need to know the ways in which you adored your mother and how much she meant to you.

Poems about mothers hold the following qualities:

• Simple
• Loving
• Share an aspect of appreciation for Mother
• Speak of yearning to see Mother again
• Tell of a mother's love and wisdom bestowed upon the family
• Emphasize a mother's sacrifice for her children
• Explain her nurturing ways
• Recall a lesson learned at a mother's side

When you set out to write your own poem, jot down some cherished qualities about your mother. From these, chose one or two, and from there, construct a few lines. Use words that are dynamic and vivid. Find verbs and nouns that convey what you want to say. Consult a thesaurus or dictionary to help you as you create.

In Memory Of My Mother

Here is a poem by the Irish poet, Patrick Kavanagh, that brings hope to those who mourn the deaths of their mothers.

In Memory of My Mother

"I do not think of you lying in the wet clay

Of a Monaghan graveyard; I see

You walking down a lane among the poplars

On your way to the station, or happily

Going to second Mass on a summer Sunday--

You meet me and you say:

'Don't forget to see about the cattle--'

Among your earthiest words the angels stray.

And I think of you walking along a headland

Of green oats in June,

So full of repose, so rich with life--

And I see us meeting at the end of a town

On a fair day by accident, after

The bargains are all made and we can walk

Together through the shops and stalls and markets

Free in the oriental streets of thought.

O you are not lying in the wet clay,

For it is harvest evening now and we

Are piling up the ricks against the moonlight

And you smile up at us -- eternally."

Famous Poems About Mom

Robert Louis Stevenson, Edgar Allan Poe, Rudyard Kipling and other famous authors penned poems about their mothers. While some of these are interesting, they may not be your choices to be read at a service honoring your mother. However, the power of these writers' words speak eloquently and are expressions of their thoughts toward their mothers.

• Sonnet to My Mother by George Barker
• Mother ‘o Mine by Rudyard Kipling
• To My Mother by Edgar Allan Poe
• From Childhood by Rainer Maria Rilke
• To My Mother by Christina Rossetti
• Sonnets are Full of Love, and This my Tome by Christina Rossetti
• My Mother Would Be a Falconress by Robert Duncan

Further Reading

To read some poems in memory of Mom, visit these Web sites:

• Motherhood
• Poet Seers
• Indian Child
• Poem Hunter