Top 10 Poems for Losing a Daughter

The loss of a daughter is a profound sorrow that no parent is ever prepared to face. It's a journey through grief that can feel isolating, yet through the shared expressions of loss found in poetry, many find a communal solace. 

Poems about losing a daughter capture the depth of this unique pain, offering a voice to the unspeakable and providing a measure of comfort to those left to navigate a world without their child. These carefully selected poems speak to the heartache, the love that endures, and the quest for peace amidst the storm of loss.

Here are ten poignant poems that articulate the complex emotions of losing a daughter, serving as a balm for the soul in times of profound sorrow.

1. "Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep" by Clare Harner

"Do not stand at my grave and cry;

I am not there. I did not die."

This poem offers a comforting perspective on death, suggesting the loved one’s spirit continues in the beauty and essence of the world around us. Ask your funeral director for help with your funeral readings. 

2. "Turn Again to Life" by Mary Lee Hall

"If I should die and leave you here awhile,

Be not like others, sore undone, who keep long vigils by the side of the silent dust."

Hall’s words encourage the living to find strength in their grief, to live on and cherish the beauty of life as their departed loved one would have wished.

3. "On the Death of Anne Brontë" by Charlotte Brontë

"There’s little joy in life for me,

And little terror in the grave."

Charlotte Brontë’s raw expression of grief over her sister’s death resonates with any parent mourning the loss of a daughter, capturing the profound sense of loss and the indifferent peace found in death.

4. "Remember" by Christina Rossetti

"Remember me when I am gone away,

Gone far away into the silent land."

Rossetti’s plea for remembrance is a tender reflection on love and the desire to be kept alive in the memories of loved ones.

5. "For My Daughter" by David Ignatow

"I was dead and buried,

I came back to life."

Ignatow's poem, while brief, speaks volumes about the cyclical nature of grief and the powerful resurgence of life and memory that follows loss.

6. "The Child Who Was Never Born" by Stevie Smith

"I thought of you and how you love this beauty,

And walking up the long beach all alone."

Smith's verse touches on the mourning of potential and the beauty of the world that the lost child will never experience.

7. "Elegy for a Daughter" by Jon Stallworthy

"For this, the journey that we could not share,

Weep, and be with me in my despair."

Stallworthy’s elegy is a heart-wrenching account of the journey through grief, inviting others to share in the profound despair and solidarity of loss.

8. "Child of Mine" by Edgar Guest

"You were but a fleeting beauty,

With a mission to fulfill."

Guest’s poem beautifully captures the fleeting presence of a child, emphasising the purpose and beauty they brought into the world, no matter how brief their stay. This poem can also be used on a funeral invitation. 

9. "A Prayer for My Daughter" by W.B. Yeats

"May she be granted beauty and yet not

Beauty to make a stranger’s eye distraught."

While Yeats’s poem is more of a prayer for protection and hope for his living daughter, its themes of parental love, aspiration, and the fragility of life echo the sentiments felt by any parent facing the loss of a daughter. When someone dies, a poem can be a way to express your feelings and experiences. 

10. "Little Elegy" by Elinor Wylie

"Withouten you

No rose can grow."

Wylie's concise yet profound lament emphasises the irreplaceable nature of the lost child and the barrenness of the world in their absence.