Elegy
ˈel.ə.dʒi
Definitions
A poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead.
ˈel.ə.dʒi
The school held a memorial service, reciting the elegy written by the deceased student's friend.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're really sad that someone you loved is gone. An elegy is like a special poem someone writes to express that sadness and remember them.
👶 For kids: It's like a sad poem about someone who died.
More Examples
The poem, an elegy for the fallen hero, moved the audience to tears.
The elegy beautifully captured the bittersweet emotions of loss and remembrance.
How It's Used
"The poet wrote an elegy for his fallen comrades."
"An elegy is traditionally a poem of mourning, expressing sorrow and loss."
Idioms & expressions
write an elegy
To compose or create a poem of lamentation, usually about the deceased.
"The poet decided to write an elegy for his best friend who passed away."
From Latin elegia, from Ancient Greek ἐλεγεία (elegeía, 'a song of lamentation'). The term originally referred to a poem written in elegiac couplets, but it evolved to specifically mean a mournful poem, especially one lamenting the dead.
Elegies were a significant form of poetry in ancient Greece and Rome, often dealing with themes of love, loss, and war.
Memory tip
Think of 'el' for 'lament' and 'egy' representing 'dying'. An elegy is a lament for the dying or the dead.