Valley of Life | Online Memorial Blog

The following poem was composed by John McCrae, a doctor serving in the military during wartime. Upon the death of a friend and former student he had been serving with, McCrae scribbled the fifteen lines below during one of his breaks, gazing upon the grave of his friend. The poem was nearly lost when McCrae threw it away, but another soldier sent it off to England to be published. McCrae’s words below, for me, embody the camaraderie of military fellows and the character of death all in the beautiful language and meter of poetry. (more…)

Nearly a week ago, tragedy struck the Haitian nation. Today, devastation continues to take its toll. Homes, businesses, schools are left in ruin, and friends and family continue to realize terrible fears — their loved ones have been lost. In the wake of this disaster, Valley of Life encourages you to support the grieving nation in any way you can. Some can give money, others can provide skills and manpower, and others can simply offer prayers and hope for the future. Still, there are those who wish to humbly offer the comforting power of the written word in order to help navigate the road to recovery. As such, the following is a recently composed memorial poem for those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. (more…)

I came across this poem as I was searching for resources to help with holiday grief. The poem references the tragic loss of young children, and how the holiday season only worsens the grief of the parents they’ve left behind. Despite the pain, however, the parents offer those who are hurting a glimmer of hope by alluding to a “mysterious Something” that keeps love in their lives. If you’re someone in particular who deals with grief during this time of year, hopefully this beautifully written poem can lend some comfort. (more…)

Henry Scott Holland (1847-1918) was a professor of divinity at the University of Oxford as well as a canon of Christ Church in Oxford. Holland delivered a sermon (titled “The King of Terrors”) in May of 1910 following the death of King Edward VII in which he explored certain nuances of death. In his discussion of this sermon, Holland wrote what is perhaps his most well-known work, “Death is Nothing at All.” While originally transcribed in paragraph form, Holland’s prose has been re-formatted to augment its natural poetic meter.

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Yet another poem by Dickinson shows not only her versatility but her ability to speak to different aspects of death, grief, and mourning. In this particular work, Dickinson muses about the concept of “Heaven.” It would seem, on Dickinson’s part, that Heaven is still a profound mystery, but that we catch glimpses of “the place/That Men call ‘paradise’–” in our everyday intersections with nature. Her use of imagery — connecting perceptions of heaven with the natural world — paints a beautiful picture of what the afterlife may look like. Surely, her lyrics will ease the pain of mourning and comfort those who have lost loved ones in this present life. (more…)