Funeral reading
Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep
Attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye
“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” by Attributed to Mary Elizabeth Frye is a poem read at a funeral or memorial service. It takes about 40 seconds read aloud, usually by a guest reader. It is still in copyright, so the words are not reprinted here — the reader brings a printed copy.
Why the words are not printed here
Authorship and rights are genuinely disputed rather than merely unclear, so we do not print it. It is in every funeral anthology — bring a copy in the wording the family knows, because the versions differ line by line.
Pieces still in copyright are listed by title and author only — we name them and tell you where to get them, but we do not reproduce the words. Public-domain text is printed in your script in full.
What it is about
Everyone knows it. Check which wording the family means — several are in circulation.
Read at a funeral or memorial service. Themes: I am not there · a thousand winds · scattering ashes · very famous · graveside.
Questions about reading it aloud
How long does “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” take to read aloud?
“Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” takes about 40 seconds read aloud at a ceremony pace, which is slower than conversation — roughly 130 words a minute. That is the figure the run-sheet uses when it works out the timing for the whole service.
Who usually reads “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep”?
Usually a guest reader rather than the officiant. “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” runs about 40 seconds, which is a manageable amount to hand to a friend or family member. Give them a printed copy of their own, in a size they can read without their glasses, and tell them where to stand and how you will introduce them.
Can “Do Not Stand at My Grave and Weep” be printed in a ceremony script?
Not by us. It is still in copyright, so we name it and point you at a copy rather than reprinting the words. Authorship and rights are genuinely disputed rather than merely unclear, so we do not print it. It is in every funeral anthology — bring a copy in the wording the family knows, because the versions differ line by line.
A reading is two minutes of the hour.
The rest is the welcome, the life, the remembrances, the committal — and knowing what comes next. Answer some questions about them and get the whole service, written out, with this reading in its place.