Elegy

Definition

“An elegy is a form of poetry that typically reflects on death or loss. Traditionally, an elegiacal poem addresses themes of mourning, sorrow, and lamentation; however, such poems can also address redemption and solace. Overall, the artistic language of poetry allows such sentiments to be expressed and articulated in the form of elegy.“ (“Elegy“)

Example

The most well-known elegy is probably “O Captain! My Captain!” written by Walt Whitman.

“O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,

The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;

But O heart! heart! heart!

O the bleeding drops of red,

Where on the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.“

“Whitman’s expression of reverence, grief, and lamentation is represented in this stanza of the elegy. In addition to mourning the loss of Lincoln, the poem mourns the state of the union after the Civil War.“ (“Elegy“)

Other works worth mentioning are:

Edward Young’s Night Thoughts (1742–45) 

Robert Blair’s Grave (1743)

Thomas Gray’s An Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard (1751)

William Cullen Bryant’s “Thanatopsis” (1817)

(“Elegy“)

Sources:

“Elegy - Examples and Definition of Elegy as Poetic Device.” Literary Devices, 26 Oct. 2021, literarydevices.net/elegy/.

“Elegy.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/art/elegy. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.

Ema Ouřetská