The glories of our blood and state
Are shadows, not substantial things;
There is no armour against fate;
Death lays his icy hand on kings:
Sceptre and Crown
Must tumble down,
And in the dust be equal made
With the poor crooked scythe and spade.
Some men with swords may reap the field,
And plant fresh laurels where they kill:
But their strong nerves at last must yield;
They tame but one another still:
Early or late
They stoop to fate,
And must give up their murmuring breath
When they, pale captives, creep to death.
The garlands wither on your brow;
Then boast no more your mighty deeds;
Upon Death’s purple altar now
See where the victor-victim bleeds:
Your heads must come
To the cold tomb;
Only the actions of the just
Smell sweet, and blossom in their dust.
Funeral Poems & Readings
Death The Leveller
A funeral poem for comfort during unsettling times
Print
Death The Leveller
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
WhatsApp
Email
Print
Funeral Shop
Keeping the memory alive. See our high-quality range of funeral products and jewellery including urns, ash pendants, keepsakes, candle holders, bracelets, rings and more.
More Funeral Poems
Memories
A beautiful and happy girl, With step as light as summer air, Eyes glad with smiles, and brow of pearl, Shadowed by many a careless ...
Read Full Poem →
Love Shines Through
Like a shadow in the moonlight Like the whisper of the seas Like the echoes of a melody Just beyond our reach In the shadow ...
Read Full Poem →
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the ...
Read Full Poem →
Dear Friend
Today is the day you will be laid to rest, But you know what they say, God only takes the best. Everything happens for a ...
Read Full Poem →
Mya’s Wish
Dear God, My name is Mya Hailey Garcia, and I live here on Earth, and as far as I’ve been told, whatever I want, I ...
Read Full Poem →
Taken From Me
I’m sitting here in my room, looking at your picture, wondering why you couldn’t be a part of my future. Uncontrollable tears stream down my ...
Read Full Poem →
Love Lives Beyond the Tomb
And earth, which fades like dew: I love the fond, The faithful, and the true. Love lives in sleep: Tis happiness of healthy dreams: Eve‘s ...
Read Full Poem →
My Mother’s Sleep Is Deep
My mother‘s sleep is deep as drifts of snow. Snow-white the moon which plays with rays like fingers, Smoothes and lingers on her white sheet. ...
Read Full Poem →
Seasons Of Grief
Shall I wither and fall like an autumn leaf, From this deep sorrow – from this painful grief? How can I go on or find ...
Read Full Poem →
Love
Love means to learn to look at yourself The way one looks at distant things For you are only one thing among many. And whoever ...
Read Full Poem →
Death Is Nothing At All
Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as ...
Read Full Poem →
Elegy
O snatch’d away in beauty’s bloom!On thee shall press no ponderous tomb;But on thy turf shall roses rearTheir leaves, the earliest of the year,And the wild ...
Read Full Poem →
A Daughter’s Promise
Every time I smile, Every time I sigh, I think of your face, And a tear escapes my eye. You were my world, My inspiration ...
Read Full Poem →
Eternal Love
I stand alone on the sandy beach my tears flowing into the sea because I know you’re out of reach and no longer here with ...
Read Full Poem →
Precious Memory
The rain may wash my pain away The wind may dry my tears The Summer sun may heal my heart And time subdue my fears ...
Read Full Poem →