15 Poems About Grief, Loss, and Consolation

At some point in our life, we experience loss and grief. Although this is a natural consequence in life, it’s still impossible to prepare when it happens. When it comes to consolation, it is often done for the people who have been left behind.

If you’re currently experiencing any grief and looking for words of thoughts for you to somewhat feel better, you’re in the right place. 

Grief, according to evolutionary scientists, is a side consequence of having relationships rather than a benefit in and of itself.

Loved ones, family, and friends assist us in navigating the world and surviving. When we are apart, our bodies emit alarm calls in an attempt to reunite us. The two, however, cannot be reunited after death.

Many people attempt to manage and cope with grief in a variety of ways. Grief is a deeply personal experience, and no two individuals experience it in the same way. Just like ballads, poetry, and books, grief has been written in our history.

Reading about another person’s grief experience can often make the griever feel more connected and empathized with.

Here are 15 poems and quotes from books and authors that have experienced loss and grief. We hope that, by reading or delivering these words, you and your loved ones can find your way back.

1. “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower; 

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day

Nothing gold can stay.

2. “On the Death of the Beloved” by John O’Donohue

Though we need to weep your loss,

You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,

Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn

Brightening over our lives

Awakening beneath the dark

A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice

Found for us

A new music

That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze

Quickened in the joy of its being;

You placed smiles like flowers

On the altar of the heart.

Your mind always sparkled

With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,

Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer

From the old distance of our names;

Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,

As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,

We know our soul’s gaze is upon your face,

Smiling back at us from within everything

To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,

Where we would grow lonely without you.

You would want us to find you in presence,

Beside us when beauty brightens,

When kindness glows

And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,

Darkest winter has turned to spring;

May this dark grief flower with hope

In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.

To serve the call of courage and love

Until we see your beautiful face again

In that land where there is no more separation,

Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,

And where we will never lose you again.

3. “In Lieu of Flowers” by Shawna Lemay

A few years ago I read a friend’s father’s obituary on Facebook. His father had requested in lieu of flowers, please take a friend or loved one out for lunch. 

Although I love flowers very much, I won’t see them when I’m gone. So in lieu of flowers:  Buy a book of poetry written by someone still alive, sit outside with a cup of tea, a glass of wine, and read it out loud, by yourself or to someone, or silently.

Spend some time with a single flower. A rose maybe. Smell it, touch the petals. 

Really look at it. 

Drink a nice bottle of wine with someone you love.

Or, Champagne. And think of what John Maynard Keynes said, “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more Champagne.” Or what Dom Perignon said when he first tasted the stuff: “Come quickly! I am tasting stars!” 

Take out a paint set and lay down some colours.

Watch birds. Common sparrows are fine. Pigeons, too. Geese are nice. Robins.

In lieu of flowers, walk in the trees and watch the light fall into it. Eat an apple, a really nice big one. I hope it’s crisp. 

Have a long soak in the bathtub with candles, maybe some rose petals.

Sit on the front stoop and watch the clouds. Have a dish of strawberry ice cream in my name. 

If it’s winter, have a cup of hot chocolate outside for me. If it’s summer, a big glass of ice water. 

If it’s autumn, collect some leaves and press them in a book you love. I’d like that. 

Sit and look out a window and write down what you see. Write some other things down. 

In lieu of flowers, 

I would wish for you to flower. 

I would wish for you to blossom, to open, to be beautiful.

4. “In Blackwater Woods” by Mary Oliver

Look, the trees

are turning

their own bodies

into pillars

of light,

are giving off the rich

fragrance of cinnamon

and fulfillment,

the long tapers

of cattails

are bursting and floating away over

the blue shoulders

of the ponds,

and every pond,

no matter what its

name is, is

nameless now.

Every year

everything

I have ever learned

in my lifetime

leads back to this: the fires

and the black river of loss

whose other side

is salvation,

whose meaning

none of us will ever know.

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.

5. “For Grief” by John O’Donohue

When you lose someone you love,

Your life becomes strange,

The ground beneath you becomes fragile,

Your thoughts make your eyes unsure;

And some dead echo drags your voice down

Where words have no confidence

Your heart has grown heavy with loss;

And though this loss has wounded others too,

No one knows what has been taken from you

When the silence of absence deepens.

Flickers of guilt kindle regret

For all that was left unsaid or undone.

There are days when you wake up happy;

Again inside the fullness of life,

Until the moment breaks

And you are thrown back

Onto the black tide of loss.

Days when you have your heart back,

You are able to function well

Until in the middle of work or encounter,

Suddenly with no warning,

You are ambushed by grief.

It becomes hard to trust yourself.

All you can depend on now is that

Sorrow will remain faithful to itself.

More than you, it knows its way

And will find the right time

To pull and pull the rope of grief

Until that coiled hill of tears

Has reduced to its last drop.

Gradually, you will learn acquaintance

With the invisible form of your departed;

And when the work of grief is done,

The wound of loss will heal

And you will have learned

To wean your eyes

From that gap in the air

And be able to enter the hearth

In your soul where your loved one

Has awaited your return

All the time.

6. “Token Loss” by Kay Ryan

To the dragon 

any loss is 

total. His rest  

is disrupted 

if a single  

jewel encrusted 

goblet has 

been stolen. 

The circle 

of himself 

in the nest 

of his gold 

has been 

broken. No 

loss is token.

7. “Talking to Grief” by Denise Levertov

Ah, Grief, I should not treat you

like a homeless dog

who comes to the back door

for a crust, for a meatless bone.

I should trust you.

I should coax you

into the house and give you

your own corner,

a worn mat to lie on,

your own water dish.

You think I don’t know you’ve been living

under my porch.

You long for your real place to be readied

before winter comes. You need

your name,

your collar and tag. You need

the right to warn off intruders,

to consider

my house your own

and me your person

and yourself

my own dog.

8. “Funeral Blues” by W.H. Auden

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,

Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

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.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

9. “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand

By my grave, and weep.

I am not there,

I do not sleep—

I am the thousand winds that blow

I am the diamond glints in snow

I am the sunlight on ripened grain,

I am the gentle, autumn rain.

As you awake with morning’s hush,

I am the swift, up-flinging rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight,

I am the day transcending night.

Do not stand

By my grave, and cry—

I am not there,

I did not die.

10. “3 Stages of Grief” by Bridgid Patrick

The Torment

Sorrow swalowed me into the cruel black sea,

The icy cold water washed over me,

Memories spin around in my mind,

Causing dark lucid dreams of every kind.

Grief and misery played their part,

Leaving behind a broken heart

The Healing

Slowly the water ebbed away,

The blackness mellowed to a shade of grey,

Time as the healer showed the way,

Helping me to cope day by day,

Fear subsiding, confidence riegns,

Ready to face the world again

The Future

The waters now are calm and clear,

My life again is full of cheer,

Smiles return and with them light,

The grey is replaced by colours so bright,

Though life was cruel, when it took you away,

I look to the future as a brand new day

11. “Seasons of Grief” by Belinda Stotler

Shall I wither and fall like an autumn leaf,

From this deep sorrow – from this painful grief?

How can I go on or find a way to be strong?

Will I ever again enjoy life’s sweet song?

Sometimes a warm memory sheds light in the dark

And eases the pain like the song of a Meadow Lark.

Then it flits away on silent wings and I’m alone;

Hungering for more of the light it had shone.

Shall grief’s bitter cold sadness consume me,

Like a winter storm on the vast angry sea?

How can I fill the void and deep desperate need

To replant my heart with hope’s lovely seed?

Then I look at a photo of your playful smiling face

And for a moment I escape to a serene happy place;

Remembering the laughter and all you would do,

Cherishing the honest, caring, loving spirit of you.

Shall spring’s cheerful flowers bring life anew

And allow me to forget the agony of missing you?

Will spring’s burst of new life bring fresh hope

And teach my grieving soul how to cope?

Sometimes I’ll read a treasured card you had given me

And each word’s special meaning makes me see,

The precious gift of love I was fortunate to receive,

And I realize you’d never want to see me grieve.

Shall summer’s warm brilliant sun bring new light,

And free my anguished mind of its terrible plight?

Will its gentle breezes chase grief’s dark clouds away,

And show me a clear path towards a better day?

When I visit the grave where you lie in eternal peace,

I know that death and heaven brought you release;

I try to envision your joy on that shore across the sea,

And, until I join you, that’ll have to be enough for me.

For all the remaining seasons of my life on earth,

There’ll be days I’ll miss your merriment and mirth,

And sometimes I’ll sadly long for all the yesterdays;

Missing our chats and your gentle understanding ways.

Yet, the lessons of kindness and love you taught me,

And the good things in life you’ve helped me to see;

Linger as lasting gifts that comfort and will sustain,

Until I journey to that peaceful shore and see you again.

12. “Heartache” by Ann D. Stevenson

I wasn’t there to say goodbye,

to reminisce of times gone by.

I wasn’t there to make you smile,

to tell old stories, laugh awhile.

I wasn’t there to talk of fun,

the happy times in life’s long run.

I wasn’t there to share the years,

those times of happiness and tears.

I wasn’t there to hear your fear

of leaving those you held so dear.

I wasn’t there to feel your pain,

you knew we’d never meet again.

I wasn’t there to hold your hand

when you parted from this land.

I wasn’t there to share our love,

before you joined the stars above.

I wasn’t there, I shed a tear.

In my heart you’re always there.

13. “This Basket of Burdens” by Debbie

My Basket of burdens

Is filled with the grief of my loss

It is so heavy to carry

Although this road I must cross.

This pathway through life

Feels unbearable at times

And I don’t have the strength

For this mountain I climb.

The Basket’s filled with sorrow

Oh, how I miss my love

At first, It’s impossible to carry,

Where is my help from above?

It’s draining my strength

I can’t do anymore

This pain goes so deep

Right down to my core.

As I carry this Basket

I’ll learn to manage the weight

Each step of the way

Will become easier they say. 

But how do they know,

Have they been here before?

If so, where’s their Basket

They’re responsible for?

This Basket of burdens

You can’t see and can’t touch

I carry it inside me

This pain is too much.

Patience is needed to carry

This loss that I feel

A shoulder to lean on

So, someday I will heal.

God sent my family

My friends and spirits unknown

So, I won’t carry this Basket

For-ever alone

Someday, I’ll lay down my Basket

With burdens’ no more

My pain will be gone

When, I cross through that door

Then I’ll know reason

For my Basket of Burdens

How God showed me His grace

When I couldn’t cope with the season 

Love and support that He gave

When His presence felt unknown

He was with me each step

When I felt so alone

14. “A Call from Heaven” by Zeb Edington

I lie awake long into the night,

Hoping that maybe you just might

Give me a call to say you’re okay

And let me know you made it through the day.

I would give everything that I have

To make you feel not so sad.

I know the pain is sometimes too great,

But the love was something you can never mistake.

I long for the day when I see you again.

Then we can talk about where all we’ve been.

We can think about all the times we had,

How we’ve missed each other ever so bad.

I feel like I’ve been cheated and robbed so blind.

God took you away when I thought you were mine.

Now I’m stuck here and feel so alone

As I sit and wait right beside the phone.

You gave me a life and everything I have.

I couldn’t say no, even when I was mad.

You gave me my children that I hold so dear.

You took away everything that I ever feared.

As the hurt seems to fade but the memories are bright,

Maybe I’ll see you in a dream tonight.

That’s all I can hope for until the day

When were together in heaven for an eternity.

15. “I Measure Every Grief I Meet” by Emily Dickinson

I measure every Grief I meet

With narrow, probing, eyes –

I wonder if It weighs like Mine –

Or has an Easier size.

I wonder if They bore it long –

Or did it just begin –

I could not tell the Date of Mine –

It feels so old a pain –

I wonder if it hurts to live –

And if They have to try –

And whether – could They choose between –

It would not be – to die –

I note that Some – gone patient long –

At length, renew their smile – 

An imitation of a Light

That has so little Oil –

I wonder if when Years have piled – 

Some Thousands – on the Harm – 

That hurt them early – such a lapse

Could give them any Balm – 

Or would they go on aching still

Through Centuries of Nerve –

Enlightened to a larger Pain – 

In Contrast with the Love – 

The Grieved – are many – I am told – 

There is the various Cause – 

Death – is but one – and comes but once – 

And only nails the eyes – 

There’s Grief of Want – and grief of Cold – 

A sort they call “Despair” – 

There’s Banishment from native Eyes –

In sight of Native Air – 

And though I may not guess the kind – 

Correctly – yet to me

A piercing Comfort it affords

In passing Calvary – 

To note the fashions – of the Cross – 

And how they’re mostly worn – 

Still fascinated to presume

That Some – are like my own –