John Milton's 17th century poem "Lycidas," of which an excerpt appears below, is generally regarded as the greatest example of pastoral elegy in English literature.
The pastoral elegy can be seen as an elegy written within the tradition of pastoral poetry, whose roots can be traced back to ancient Greek and Roman poetry about the rustic lives of rural-dwelling poets. Though the elegy is not a strictly-defined form, there is one particular kind of elegy whose definition is clearer: the pastoral elegy, which is typically about a deceased shepherd. He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a friend. Large was his bounty, and his soul sincere, Here rests his head upon the lap of Earthįair Science frown'd not on his humble birth, Thomas Gray's famous 18th century poem, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," is an example of this type of elegy-a form that, despite being defined by its elegaic stanzas, does not have its own name. So taken were the Romantics with the form that they even reinvented the traditional elegiac stanza, defining it as a quatrain (four-line stanza) in iambic pentameter (five iambs per line), following an "ABAB" rhyme scheme. In the 18th century, the elegy flourished, particularly among English Romantic poets, who valued the form for its personal and emotional qualities. During the 16th century, though, the elegy came to be more specifically defined as a poem of grief and lamentation. Until the 16th century, the definition of elegy in English literature remained somewhat indeterminate, and often was taken simply to mean a poem of serious reflection. In English literature, elegy is not defined by its use of elegiac meter as described above. With thee lead all my life, and die with thee. In thee lives all my love, my heav'n lies there. Heav'n knows, dear maid, I love no other fair Note that, in translation, the poem loses its original meter. Below is an excerpt of one of Ovid's many "love elegies," so-called because they employ elegiac couplets. 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.
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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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