Elegy
noun /ˈelɪdʒi/ — A poem or piece of music written for what's lost.
Definition
A poem, song, or piece of music written in memory or mourning of someone or something lost; a mournful piece.
Beyond the definition
An elegy doesn't just mourn — it transforms grief into art. It honors what was lost by giving it beautiful form. Writing an elegy is one way humans make death and loss bearable.
Origin & history
From Greek elegeia — a song of mourning (elegos 'mournful poem'). Ancient Greek elegies were originally any poem in a specific meter.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
He wrote the piece as an elegy for his hometown, demolished while he was away.
Some of the greatest literature is elegiac — grief given form and beauty.
The film functions as an elegy for a generation that had no language for what it felt.
Synonyms
Antonyms
celebration, ode to joy, paean
Related words
Elegy vs lament
A lament is an expression of grief or sorrow — it can be a cry, a song, or a simple statement of loss. An elegy is a specific artistic form: a poem or piece of music that transforms mourning into art. Laments exist in the moment of grief; elegies are crafted in reflection. You can lament in private, without skill or craft; an elegy requires the grief to be given form. All elegies are laments; not all laments become elegies.
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Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Adult looking at empty chair
An adult sits in a dark, quiet room, gazing at a single, empty chair, their posture reflecting deep sadness.
The somber lighting and focus on the absence of the person who once occupied the chair create a mournful atmosphere, capturing the essence of a piece written to memorialize loss.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration