Top 10 Life Well Lived Poems

In the intricate tapestry of human experience, the concept of a life well lived holds a profound place. It's a narrative woven through choices, actions, and the indelible marks left on the hearts and lives of others.

Poetry, with its innate ability to capture the essence of our deepest emotions and reflections, serves as a poignant medium to honour and celebrate such a life.

Herein lies an exploration of the poetic tributes that encapsulate a life well lived, offering solace, inspiration, and a mirror to our collective human journey.

1. "The Dash" by Linda Ellis

"For that dash represents all the time they spent alive on earth

And now only those who loved them know what that little line is worth."

Linda Ellis's "The Dash" is a powerful reminder of the significance of the life that occupies the dash between our birth and death dates on a tombstone. It emphasises that a life well lived is measured not in material possessions or accolades but in love shared, lives touched, and moments cherished. This poem is a call to live consciously and meaningfully, making the most of the "dash" we are given.

2. "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas

"Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

Though Dylan Thomas penned this poem as a plea to his dying father to fight against death, its fiery spirit speaks to the essence of living passionately and resisting the quiet fade into oblivion. It champions a life well lived as one filled with purpose, zeal, and an unyielding desire to leave a mark on the world.

3. "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" by Robert Herrick

"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying;"

Herrick's classic carpe diem poem, with its famous line "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may," is a vivid exhortation to live fully and embrace the fleeting nature of life. It's a celebration of youth, vitality, and the imperative to seize the day, embodying the philosophy that a life well lived is one rich in experiences and savoured moments.

4. "If" by Rudyard Kipling

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;"

Kipling's "If" serves as a manual for personal integrity, resilience, and the virtues that constitute a life of significance. Through its conditional statements, it outlines the qualities of fortitude, humility, patience, and determination as the pillars of a life well lived, offering guidance for personal conduct that transcends time and circumstance. It can be used as a funeral quote if needed. 

5. "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann

"Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence."

Though not a poem in the traditional sense, Ehrmann's "Desiderata" is a prose poem that has touched many with its profound wisdom and serene advice on living a peaceful, fulfilling life. It advocates for harmony, honesty, and striving to be happy, encapsulating a universal recipe for a life well lived.

6. "Remember Me" by Christina Rossetti

"Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land;"

Rossetti's tender request for remembrance in the hearts of her loved ones after her departure reflects on the impact one life can have on another. This poem gently reminds us that a life well lived continues to resonate and inspire even in absence, through the memories and love shared.

7. "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

"It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,"

"Invictus," Latin for "unconquered," is a stirring declaration of personal strength and mastery over fate. Henley's acknowledgement of the trials faced and the unyielding spirit required to overcome them speaks to the courage and resilience that define a life well lived.

8. "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do

With your one wild and precious life?"

Oliver's contemplative piece, ending with the piercing question, "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" is a meditation on mindfulness, the beauty of the natural world, and the importance of living a life filled with intention and wonder.

9. "A Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,"

Longfellow's timeless poem is an ode to the human spirit's endurance and the quest for meaning beyond mere existence. It encourages us to strive, to seek, and to find the paths that lead to a life well lived, marked by noble action and aspiring toward higher ideals.

10. "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less travelled by,"

Frost's iconic poem about the choices that define our lives is a reflection on the bravery and introspection required to forge our own paths. It's a celebration of the life well lived as one that embraces individuality, accepts the unknown, and finds beauty in the journey itself. If you feel its to hard to choose the funeral poems, ask your funeral director for assistance.