In our deepest grief we still turn instinctively to poetry for solace. These poems, drawn from many different ages and cultures, remind us that the experience of parting is a timelessly human one: however alone the loss of a loved one leaves us, our mourning is also something that deeply unites us; these poems of parting and passing, of sorrow and healing, will find a deep echo within those who find themselves dealing with grief or bereavement. Whatever our loss, it is assuaged in finding a voice - and whether that voice is one of private remembrance or public memorial, The Picador Book of Funeral Poems will help you towards it.

Designed for those in need of poetic solace, and a gift book for the recently bereaved, it is also intended as a book to read from at memorial ceremonies, when judging the tone and hitting the right note is everything