Query re: Funeral Poem

Hello again,
Thank you for your condolences.
Lynnieg, I’m pleased the poem helped to give some comfort to your friend at such a sad time.
My Uncle’s had a lovely send off on Friday. I feel blessed to have had him for my Uncle, he was dearly loved.. My Uncle was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 50 and fought the disease with great courage until his passing at the age of 77.
Thank you again to everyone who replied to my post.

I read this poem at the funeral of my friend’s husband. It is definitely about a ship and must not be change to ‘he’.

I read a very similar one out at my friend's funeral but it was attributed to a Bishop Brent (apparently the first missionary of the Phillipines?)

Now got me wondering...who has royalties?

Anyway a lovely lovely choice Riverdance and agree the Minister either hasn't read it or doesn't understand it. My sincere condolences to you and your family in your loss.

What we all seem to have overlooked is to offer you and your mum our condolences.

Should stay with she. From the first line it is obviously about the ship which is aways referred to as she.

Couldn't someone in the family, or a friend read it instead of the Minister? My brother-in-law recited it at his wife's funeral recently Always more personal that way x

Mapleleaf That the minister was prepared to change, he to she, is a reflection on the age we live. Many of these poems go back years and unless cause offence which we would not chose to have read in the first place then why not leave well alone.?

Would agree with you. With the recent furore in the media though about ships being referred to as 'she' perhaps the PC reference should be 'it'.

I recall that a hymn 'He who would valiant be ' had been requested by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, future events planned in advance, that was to be sung at her funeral.
The funeral service was televised and I cannot recall hearing the words 'He who would' replaced by 'She.'
Somehow I do not believe the 'iron lady' ! would have approved any changes regardless of her being the first lady in UK history to become prime minister.

I've just read the poem, and I'm glad that the Minister has now agreed to read it as it is written. A beautiful poem, and the meaning is clear.

what a beautiful poem - I've just looked it up. So glad to hear the Minister has agreed the poem must be read out as it was written. Hope the funeral goes well

Don’t get me started on the way the words have changed in some hymns. They’ve lost all their lovely poetry and sometimes don’t even mean what the author intended.

Yes thank you. It's a lovely poem.

I've passed that beautiful poem on to a friend of mine whose mother is in her last days. She was so moved by it and it gave her a lot of comfort. So thank you for this thread x

Thank you so much for responding to my post, much appreciated.
I have asked the Minister to deliver the poem as the author intended and he is happy to do so. I must admit to being very surprised that he wanted to alter it. This poem and was read out at my Nan’s funeral 20 years ago so we wanted it for her son on Friday.
Thanks again everyone.

I've just read it agree with everyone that 'she' must remain. It's nothing to do with the gender of the person being mourned but about death itself. You would have thought anyone with a religious faith would have recognised that.

The last line - "And that is dying." Says it all. It is about neither a person or a ship.

Oh that is such a beautiful poem!

Definitely leave the "she". Whether the minister can get her head round it or not.

What a truly silly minister! - "she" refers to the ship, not the person.

Just realised which poem it is, and have changed my mind! Should definitely remain as "she".

I’ve just read it. It would make no sense to alter the gender and would come across as confusing. I suspect the minister didn’t read it through.

The poem should be written as the author intended. It is not the Minister's function to change what someone else has written.
I have noticed a tendency in some clergy to alter some phrases in hymns because they consider them inappropriate for modern beliefs.
I expressed the belief following the Remembrance day service, when parts of well-known hymns had been rewritten, that you do nor rewrite poetry because you dislike the sentiments expressed, but apparently now some clergy feel that they have the right so to do.

Eglantine is right. It's not up to the minister. And it shouldn't be changed.

I’m sorry but to change it to “he” just doesn’t work. He is never used for a ship so “he is just as large” sounds really odd.

If it has to be changed even “it” would be better than “he”.

I wouldn’t argue though. Just stand up and read it as it is written. What’s the minister going to do at that point anyway?

This beautiful poem was read at my Dad's funeral. I'm sure we left the pronoun as "she" since it refers to the ship, not a person.