Funerals are held to create a space to celebrate a life that was lived and loved.
Funeral services have been a tradition for decades and act as the initial process of grieving—the first step in reiterating the reality of death.
Funeral services, over the years, have started incorporating music to accompany funeral rites, and most times, the music played at a funeral is personalized, in memory of a loved one.
A funeral dirge can be a short hymn, slow song, or poem to accompany the funeral service. In this blog post, you can learn how incorporating dirges in a funeral service for your loved one helps family and friends during their grieving process.
1. Links memories with emotions
When you’re mourning the loss of a precious soul who was close to your heart, grieving becomes your personal battle.
Dirges are a form of music, so when they are incorporated into a service, they have the power to evoke emotions within you by reminding you of the memories you have with your loved one which you cherish the most.
Funeral dirges, therefore, not only help you embrace the memories close to your heart but also allow you to accept the passing of your loved one and move through the stages of grief.
2. Helps convey feelings
Not everyone processes emotions the same way, so some may have trouble communicating their thoughts and feelings, which is especially heightened when the process of grieving is involved.
As difficult as it is to lose a loved one, for family and friends to go through a healthy grieving process, it’s important that they communicate their emotions.
Dirges can facilitate this by conveying one’s emotions when they’re at a loss for words, offering a fitting goodbye to your loved one.
3. Offers a community experience
Whether it’s a religious event or not, dirges have a way of bringing everyone together by offering a community experience.
The support of family and friends who have come together for a service during the process of grieving is strengthened with the power of funeral dirges.
Dirges are almost soothing and can possibly make the healing process more bearable due to the sense of community offered by the surrounding family and friends of your departed loved one experiencing similar emotions.
4. Celebrates the life of your loved one
Funerals don’t necessarily have to be wholly somber. How the funeral of a loved one is hosted not only honors the character of the deceased but also allows family and friends to create a haven in which they can revisit the memories of their loved one.
It’s a celebration of and a farewell to a life that has been lived, so to honor the deceased, dirges that fit the character of the departed can be used for a suitable and personal ceremony.
When planning the funeral rites, you can ask the funeral planning service to incorporate music to honor your loved one and foster an environment where people can grieve and begin to heal.
Funeral dirges that you may consider
The dirges incorporated in the funeral service are up to the family of the deceased and there are many options to choose from—a few of which are mentioned below:
- Dirge Over a Nameless Grave by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- A Dirge by Christina Rossetti
- Dirge Without Music by Edna St. Vincent Millay
- A Dirge by Percy Bysshe Shelley
You can choose any of the above or get help from your funeral service provider to pick a fitting dirge for the funeral of your loved one.
Funeral dirges have the power to start the healing process
Funeral dirges and music for funerals can help your loved one’s nearest and dearest through their grieving process to help them navigate through a very distressing time of their lives. Simultaneously, you’ll be able to honor your loved one and keep the memories you cherish alive.
