Definition
A mournful, reflective poem or song expressing sorrow, loss, or lamentation, often for the dead or to mourn an abstract loss like the passage of time or vanished beauty. Elegies have been a staple of literature since ancient times and are distinguished from other funeral poetry by their contemplative, philosophical tone.
Example Usage
The poet wrote a moving elegy for his late grandmother, reflecting on memories and the inevitability of mortality.
Origin
From Latin 'elegia' and Greek 'elegeia,' originally referring to verse written in elegiac meter (alternating dactylic hexameter and pentameter lines).
Fun Fact
Some of the most famous elegies in English literature include Thomas Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard' and W.H. Auden's 'Funeral Blues.'
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