“Let Me Go” written by Christina Rossetti catches the quiet acceptance of death, and the soft release from earthly ties. Christina was born in London, England, on December 5, 1830, and passed away on 29th December 1894.
She is typically appreciated for her great lyric poetry and hymns. A leading member of the Pre-Raphaelite movement, her works usually revolved around love, faith, and mortality. The legacy of Rossetti still resonates in both the literary and ecclesiastical worlds, and “Let Me Go” is one of those works which speaks poignantly, often used in funerals for its astounding light of hope regarding pain and memory.
“Let M is executed in a manner that testifies to Rossetti’s meditative style joining emotional depth with spiritual insight. And in that one, in such simple yet evocative language, she speaks from a perspective of near-death to her dear ones to be in sorrow for only a little while and then live their life with joyful memories.
Its refrain gets repeated, as in the message that there is consolation in the inevitability of death as a passing over to a higher plane: “Miss me, but let me go.”. This poem, with its jarring images of the setting sun and going home, offers hope and peace to those left behind.
Her life was often filled with illness and grief. She suffered from Graves’ disease and breast cancer; such physical struggles must have coloured her thoughts on death and eternity.
With such setbacks, her faith managed to combine with her genius in literature to create masterpieces entitled Goblin Market and words to the popular Christmas carol “In the Bleak Midwinter.” Rossetti passed away on 29th December 1894.
Let Me Go
“Let Me Go” has been read at some of the most famous memorials and continues as a source of comfort for the mourners, by pointing out the impermanence of life and the eternity of love. Christina Rossetti’s immortal lines remind one of the beauty of releasing in sorrow, elevating it into a celebration of remembered love and the promise of spiritual peace.
“Let Me Go” by Christina Rossetti
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me
I want no rites in a gloom filled room
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little, but not for long
And not with your head bowed low
Remember the love that once we shared
Miss me, but let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take
And each must go alone.
It's all part of the master plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick at heart
Go to the friends we know.
Laugh at all the things we used to do
Miss me, but let me go.
When I am dead my dearest
Sing no sad songs for me
Plant thou no roses at my head.
Nor shady cypress tree
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet
And if thou wilt remember
And if thou wilt, forget.
I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not fear the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on as if in pain;
And dreaming through the twighlight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.
For more poem inspiration visit the Save Funeral Costs blog of funeral poems.
