Farewell Poem
Angel Poems for Funeral Cards
Inspirational PoemsCrossing the Bar
Sunset and evening star,
And one clear call for me!
And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,
But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.
Twilight and evening bell,
And after that the dark!
And may there be no sadness of farewell,
When I embark;
For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
The flood may bear me far,
I hope to see my Pilot face to face
When I have cross’d the bar.
Overview Short Summary
“Crossing the Bar” imagines death as a peaceful sea journey toward meeting the “Pilot” face to face. It is one of the most suitable classic poems for funeral programs, memorial services, and sympathy cards where readers want peace without overly heavy language.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Peaceful death: The sea journey softens the fear of leaving life.
- Faith and meeting: The “Pilot” suggests a guiding divine presence beyond death.
- Farewell without despair: The poem asks that goodbye not be filled only with sadness.
Interpretation Symbols and Their Meaning
- The bar: The boundary between life and death.
- The sea: The journey beyond the known world.
- The Pilot: A guiding spiritual presence, often read as God or divine guidance.
The Reaper and the Flowers
There is a Reaper, whose name is Death,
And, with his sickle keen,
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.
“Shall I have naught that is fair?” saith he;
“Have naught but the bearded grain?
Though the breath of these flowers is sweet to me,
I will give them all back again.”
He gazed at the flowers with tearful eyes,
He kissed their drooping leaves;
It was for the Lord of Paradise
He bound them in his sheaves.
“My Lord has need of these flowerets gay,”
The Reaper said, and smiled;
“Dear tokens of the earth are they,
Where he was once a child.
“They shall all bloom in fields of light,
Transplanted by my care,
And saints, upon their garments white,
These sacred blossoms wear.”
And the mother gave, in tears and pain,
The flowers she most did love;
She knew she should find them all again
In the fields of light above.
O, not in cruelty, not in wrath,
The Reaper came that day;
’T was an angel visited the green earth,
And took the flowers away.
Overview Short Summary
Longfellow describes death as a reaper who gathers flowers for Paradise. The final stanza turns death into an angelic visitation, which makes the poem especially relevant for angel poems for loved ones in heaven, angel baby poems, child loss remembrance, and memorial cards.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Loss and faith: The poem tries to comfort grief by imagining the lost as flowers transplanted into light.
- Childlike innocence: The flowers suggest delicate lives, especially children or loved ones taken too soon.
- Reunion: The grieving mother believes she will find the flowers again above.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is mournful but consoling. The mood is tender, devotional, and suitable for memorial keepsakes or funeral prayer cards.
Interpretation Symbols and Their Meaning
- The flowers: Loved ones, especially the young, delicate, or deeply cherished.
- The Reaper: Death, softened into a servant of Paradise.
- Fields of light: Heaven, peace, and spiritual continuation.
Footsteps of Angels
When the hours of Day are numbered,
And the voices of the Night
Wake the better soul, that slumbered,
To a holy, calm delight;
Ere the evening lamps are lighted,
And, like phantoms grim and tall,
Shadows from the fitful firelight
Dance upon the parlor wall;
Then the forms of the departed
Enter at the open door;
The beloved, the true-hearted,
Come to visit me once more;
He, the young and strong, who cherished
Noble longings for the strife,
By the roadside fell and perished,
Weary with the march of life!
They, the holy ones and weakly,
Who the cross of suffering bore,
Folded their pale hands so meekly,
Spake with us on earth no more!
And with them the Being Beauteous,
Who unto my youth was given,
More than all things else to love me,
And is now a saint in heaven.
With a slow and noiseless footstep
Comes that messenger divine,
Takes the vacant chair beside me,
Lays her gentle hand in mine.
And she sits and gazes at me
With those deep and tender eyes,
Like the stars, so still and saint-like,
Looking downward from the skies.
Uttered not, yet comprehended,
Is the spirit’s voiceless prayer,
Soft rebukes, in blessings ended,
Breathing from her lips of air.
Overview Short Summary
This poem imagines departed loved ones returning in quiet evening memory. It is a strong choice for readers searching for angels watching over us poems, angel poems about missing someone, or angel poems for loved ones in heaven.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Memory as visitation: The departed seem to return through silence, night, and recollection.
- Love beyond death: The beloved becomes saint-like and spiritually near.
- Comfort in solitude: The empty chair becomes a place of unseen presence.
Literary Technique Imagery and Personification
Evening shadows, the open door, the vacant chair, and star-like eyes create a scene where grief feels inhabited by tender presence rather than emptiness alone.
Nearer, My God, to Thee
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me:
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Though like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
There let the way appear
Steps unto Heaven;
All that Thou sendest me
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Then, with my waking thoughts
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs
Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Or if, on joyful wing
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly,
Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
Overview Short Summary
This hymn-poem turns hardship into a desire for nearness to God. The line about angels beckoning the speaker toward heaven makes it useful for sympathy cards, funeral prayer cards, and angel poems for comfort.
Core Ideas Main Themes
- Spiritual ascent: The poem imagines sorrow as a path upward.
- Angelic guidance: Angels appear as beckoning presences that call the soul nearer to God.
- Comfort through faith: Even grief becomes a place where praise can be built.
Emotional Effect Tone and Mood
The tone is prayerful and trusting. The mood is solemn, hopeful, and suitable for religious memorial use.
Reader Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best short angel poems for cards?
For short angel poems for cards, William Blake’s “The Angel that Presided o’er My Birth” is one of the shortest choices. Blake’s “The Angel” and Rossetti’s “The Shepherds Had an Angel” are also useful when you want a spiritual or guardian angel feeling.
Which angel poems are suitable for funerals or memorial services?
For funerals and memorial services, “Crossing the Bar,” “Up-Hill,” “Remember,” “Footsteps of Angels,” and “The Reaper and the Flowers” are strong public-domain choices. They focus on peace, reunion, rest, and loved ones in heaven.
What poem can I use for a sympathy card?
For a sympathy card, “Remember” by Christina Rossetti is gentle and not too long. “Nearer, My God, to Thee” works well for a religious sympathy card, while “The Reaper and the Flowers” is more suitable for a deeply emotional memorial message.
Are these angel poems public domain?
The poems included here are classic public-domain works or are taken from public-domain sources such as Project Gutenberg and public-domain poetry archives. Source and rights details are included in each poem block.
Can angel poems be used for loved ones in heaven?
Yes. Angel poems are often used for loved ones in heaven because they give readers images of protection, reunion, spiritual peace, and continuing love after death.
Which poem is best for an angel baby or child loss memorial?
“The Reaper and the Flowers” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is often the best fit for child loss or angel baby remembrance because it uses flowers as symbols of loved ones gathered into fields of light.
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