An Elegy

 

Definition of Elegy:

An elegy is a special kind of lyrics. A lyric expresses the emotions of the poet, and the elegy is an expression of the emotion of sorrow, woe, or despair. In short, the elegy is a lament, a lyric of mourning or an utterance of personal bereavement and sorrow.

The word elegy originated from the Greek word ‘elegeia’, which means to lament or to be sorrowful.

Characteristics of Elegy:

# It begins with a lament of loss of life of a person or loss of a thing.

# It is an expression of the emotion of sorrow, woe, or despair.

# The sorrow is followed by the poet’s admiration for the person or thing l t.

# Simplicity, brevity and sincerity are its distinguishing features.

# The language and structure of an elegy is formal and ceremonial.

# Along with the expression of personal grief, there also runs theology and philosophy, as the poet constantly reflects on the problems of human life and human destiny.

Examples:

Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a country Churchyard is one of the most popular elegies in English language.

Matthew Arnold’s Rugby Chapel is the poet’s direct expression of grief on the death of his father.

Tennyson’s In Memoriam is a unique elegy in English language. It is a collection of over a hundred poignant lyrics, united into a single whole by the poet’s lament at the death of his college friend, Arthur Hallam.  For example like Break, break, break.