Poets

Poems of Mourning and Comfort

Poetry read at a funeral is an eloquent way to pay tribute to the life and legacy of someone you love. For the bereaved, poems about dying, the pain of loss, grief, mourning, the afterlife, or rebirth can bring comfort and be a source of inspiration and hope.

Nikki Giovanni (1943–2024), celebrated poet and activist

Nikki Giovanni was an iconic poet of the 1960s and ‘70s Black Arts Movement who authored more than 30 books.

Peter Sinfield (1943–2024), co-founder of King Crimson

Peter Sinfield was a poet and songwriter best known as co-founder and lyricist for influential progressive rock band King Crimson, penning the lyrics on their acclaimed debut LP, “In the Court of the Crimson King.” 

Madeleine Riffaud (1924–2024), French Resistance fighter

Madeleine Riffaud was a journalist and fighter with the French Resistance in World War II, refusing to bow to the Nazis despite capture and torture.

Charles Osgood (1933–2024), longtime CBS News Sunday Morning host 

Charles Osgood was the host of “CBS News Sunday Morning” from 1994 to 2016 and the host of radio’s “The Osgood File” for close to 50 years.

Benjamin Zephaniah (1958–2023), poet, author, and Peaky Blinders actor

Benjamin Zephaniah was a celebrated British poet, author and playwright who regularly appeared on the period crime drama “Peaky Blinders.” 

Louise Glück (1943–2023), Nobel- and Pulitzer-winning poet 

Louise Glück was a poet and essayist whose exploration of trauma, death, loss, and struggle earned her the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, a National Book Award, and many others.

Dorothy Casterline (1928–2023), deaf linguist and ASL advocate 

Dorothy Casterline was a deaf linguist and contributor to the Dictionary of American Sign Language (ASL) on Linguistic Principles whose innovative treatment of ASL as a distinct language led to greater mainstream acceptance.

Mary Ann Hoberman (1930–2023), award-winning children’s author

Mary Ann Hoberman was a poet and National Book Award winner for her 1978 children’s book “A House Is a House for Me.” 

Pete Brown (1940–2023), poet and co-writer of rock classics

Pete Brown was an English poet and lyricist who collaborated with music acts like Cream and Jack Bruce, co-writing rock classics such as “White Room” and “Sunshine of Your Love.”

Royston Ellis (1941–2023), Beatles-connected beat poet 

Royston Ellis began as a poet in the so-called Beat Generation, with a career spanning the 1950s through the 2010s. His primary claim to fame may be his connection to The Beatles, and to John Lennon in particular, but he also wrote dozens of books on travel, works of fiction, biographies, and poetry. 

Gerald Stern (1925–2022), award-winning poet

Gerald Stern was a poet who won a National Book Award in 1998 for his collection “This Time: New and Selected Poems.”

Baxter Black (1945–2022), cowboy poet and NPR commentator

Baxter Black was a cowboy poet who published many books and appeared as a commentator on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.”