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If I Should Go

This Page Includes: Full Verses of the Poem in Text. A Free PDF Download for reading purposes. Free Editable Google Doc Download if you wish to make changes or to personalise the poem. The page also includes what the poem is about, structure of poem and explaining the best parts.

If I Should Go Poem Verses

If I should go before the rest of you
Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone
Nor when I'm gone speak in a Sunday voice
But be the usual selves that I have known
Weep if you must
Parting is Hell
But life goes on
So sing as well.

Audio Recording

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Personalised Poem

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Personalised Poem

About the poem

This poem is about the speaker's wishes for how their loved ones should remember them after they pass away. The speaker urges their loved ones not to go to great lengths to mourn or memorialize them, but instead to continue living their lives as they always have. They encourage their loved ones to be themselves and not to feel pressured to act a certain way in response to their death. The final lines encourage their loved ones to grieve if they need to, but to also keep living and find joy in life.

The Structure of Poem

The poem is structured in four stanzas, each with four lines. It follows a consistent rhyming scheme, with the second and fourth lines of each stanza rhyming. The language is straightforward and conversational, with an emphasis on the importance of normalcy and continuity in the face of loss. The speaker urges their loved ones not to mourn in a formal or grandiose way, but to continue on with their lives as usual, while acknowledging that it is natural to feel sadness.

Best Quote from If I Should Go Poem

This is the poem 'If I Should Go' by Joyce Grenfell

"If I should go before the rest of you Break not a flower nor inscribe a stone Nor when I'm gone speak in a Sunday voice But be the usual selves that I have known Weep if you must Parting is Hell But life goes on So sing as well."

This quote from the poem offers a unique perspective on dealing with death and saying goodbye. Instead of focusing on mourning and grief, the speaker encourages their loved ones to continue on with their lives and to remember them as they were in life, rather than through memorials or grand gestures. The use of everyday language and the encouragement to "sing as well" offers a sense of optimism and hope, emphasizing the idea that even though death may be difficult, life and love can still go on. This quote could be used as a way to offer comfort to those dealing with loss or as a reminder to cherish the time we have with loved ones while we can.