what is elegy in literature

An elegy is a form of poetry or song that typically reflects on death or loss. It is a sad poem that is usually written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead. The purpose of this kind of poem is to express feelings rather than tell a story. Traditionally, an elegiacal poem addresses themes of mourning, sorrow, and lamentation. The elements of a traditional elegy mirror three stages of loss: lament, praise and admiration of the idealized dead, and finally consolation and solace. In classical literature, an elegy was simply any poem written in the elegiac meter (alternating lines of dactylic hexameter and pentameter) and was not restricted as to subject. However, in English literature since the 16th century, an elegy has come to mean a poem of lamentation. In some modern literatures, such as German, the term elegy refers to the elegiac meter, rather than to the poems content. The elegy remains a frequent and important poetic statement in modern poetry, and its range and variation can be seen in such poems as Thomas Grays "Elegy Written in a Country Church Yard" and W.H. Audens "In Memory of W.B. Yeats".