Some of the most famous elegies in ancient Greek and Latin verse were written by Catullus and Ovid. In ancient Greek and Latin verse, the elegy was a poetic form that was defined by a particular metrical pattern called "elegiac couplets"-alternating lines of dactylic hexameter (six dactyls per line) and dactylic pentameter (five dactyls per line). The History of Elegy Ancient Elegyįor most of history, the term "elegy" did not have any special relationship to the subject of grief or mortality. Oftentimes, the poet will find a silver lining in mourning by alluding to the Christian notion that death marks the beginning of an eternal afterlife in Heaven. Many elegies initially express grief and sorrow, which the poet works through over the course of the poem before arriving at a consolatory conclusion about the inevitable and universal nature of death. While modern elegies don't have to use any particular meter or follow a particular form, they do typically follow a specific thematic arc, moving from grief toward an acceptance of death. Here's how to pronounce elegy: el-uh-jee The Defining Features of Elegies Todayįor modern and contemporary poets, the elegy is a poem that deals with the subjects of death or mortality, but has no set form, meter, or rhyme scheme. The poetic form known as the "elegiac stanza," which has a specific meter and rhyme scheme, is different from an elegy.Typically, elegies end on a somewhat hopeful note, with the poet reconciling him- or herself to the death, and ultimately discovering some form of consolation.Because elegies focus on the emotional experience of the poet, they are generally written in the first person.Some additional key details about elegies: Elegies are defined by their subject matter, and don't have to follow any specific form in terms of meter, rhyme, or structure. What is an elegy? Here’s a quick and simple definition:Īn elegy is a poem of serious reflection, especially one mourning the loss of someone who died.
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