Clear, powerful examples of examples of definition of elegy

Starting with real examples of definition of elegy

Before we talk about theory, let’s ground the definition of elegy in real poems. When teachers or writing guides share examples of definition of elegy, they’re usually pointing to three key features:

• The poem focuses on loss or death.
• The speaker expresses grief or sorrow.
• The poem often shifts into reflection, comfort, or acceptance.

Instead of listing these as dry bullet points, let’s walk through some of the best examples that show what an elegy looks and feels like.

Classic literary examples of definition of elegy

When people look for the best examples of definition of elegy, they almost always start with the classics. These poems helped shape what we now mean when we say “elegy.”

Thomas Gray – Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard (1751)

If you want a textbook example of an elegy, this is it. Gray’s speaker stands in a quiet graveyard at dusk, thinking about the “rude forefathers of the hamlet” buried there. The poem mourns not just one person, but all the ordinary lives that ended without fame or recognition.

How it fits the definition of elegy:

• It centers on death and the passage of time.
• The tone is reflective and mournful.
• It moves from specific graves to big questions about human life, social class, and memory.

This is one of the clearest examples of examples of definition of elegy because you can watch the poem move from personal feeling to universal reflection.

Walt Whitman – When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d (1865)

Whitman wrote this poem after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. It’s an elegy not only for Lincoln, but for all the lives lost in the American Civil War.

How it matches the definition of elegy:

• It begins with deep grief and shock.
• Natural images (lilacs, the western star, the hermit thrush) become symbols of mourning.
• By the end, Whitman reaches a kind of acceptance, finding beauty even in death.

If you’re searching for examples of definition of elegy that also reflect national trauma, this poem is a strong candidate. It shows how elegies can speak for a whole country, not just one person.

W.H. Auden – In Memory of W.B. Yeats (1939)

Auden’s poem was written for another poet, W.B. Yeats, and it’s often cited in classrooms as a modern example of definition of elegy.

Why it’s a good example:

• It openly states that Yeats is dead and explores how the world keeps moving.
• It wrestles with what poetry can and cannot do in the face of real-world suffering.
• It ends by urging Yeats’s “poetry” to live on, even though the man is gone.

This poem shows that elegies don’t have to be stiff or overly formal. They can be conversational, political, and emotionally complicated.

Personal grief: examples of definition of elegy for friends and family

Not all elegies are written for presidents and famous poets. Some of the most moving examples of definition of elegy come from intimate losses.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson – In Memoriam A.H.H. (1850)

Tennyson spent years writing this long sequence of poems after the death of his close friend Arthur Hallam. You don’t need to read the whole thing to understand why it’s one of the best examples of definition of elegy.

Key elegiac qualities:

• It chronicles grief over time—shock, anger, doubt, slow healing.
• It questions faith, purpose, and the meaning of suffering.
• It ends with a renewed, if fragile, hope.

If you’re looking for examples of examples of definition of elegy that show grief as a long process rather than a single moment, In Memoriam is a powerful model.

Ben Jonson – “On My First Son” (1616)

This short poem mourns Jonson’s young son, who died at age seven. It’s one of the clearest, most human examples of definition of elegy for a child.

Why it matters:

• The poem addresses the child directly.
• Jonson blames himself, questions God, and tries to comfort himself all at once.
• The language is simple and heartfelt, not elaborate.

If you ever wondered what an elegy looks like when a parent writes for a child, this is your go-to example of how raw and honest an elegy can be.

Public tragedy and social grief: examples include war and injustice

Elegies are not limited to private losses. Many modern poets use elegy to respond to war, racism, and public violence. These are some of the best examples of definition of elegy in a social or political context.

Yusef Komunyakaa – “Facing It” (1988)

This poem takes place at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. The speaker, a veteran, confronts the names on the wall and his own memories.

Why it fits the definition of elegy:

• It mourns fallen soldiers, some named, some not.
• The reflective tone and fragmented images mirror trauma.
• It shows how grief continues long after a war officially ends.

If you’re searching for real examples of definition of elegy that connect poetry to history you can visit, this is a strong choice—you can literally stand where the poem is set.

For additional historical context about the Vietnam War and its impact on veterans’ mental health, you can explore resources from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which discusses PTSD, trauma, and remembrance.

Natasha Trethewey – “Elegy” (2010)

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Natasha Trethewey wrote a poem simply titled “Elegy” for her stepfather, a fisherman. It’s a quiet, vivid memory of him teaching her to cast a line.

How it works as an example of definition of elegy:

• It never says “you are dead,” but the loss is clear in the past‑tense memory.
• The ordinary moment becomes a way to honor his life.
• The poem captures love, regret, and gratitude all at once.

This is one of the best examples of how an elegy doesn’t have to be grand or dramatic. Small, specific memories can carry enormous emotional weight.

Danez Smith – “not an elegy for Mike Brown” (2014)

The title literally says “not an elegy,” but the poem behaves like one. It responds to the police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and to broader patterns of violence against Black Americans.

Why teachers often treat this as an example of definition of elegy, even with the title’s denial:

• It mourns a specific person and a wider community.
• It expresses rage, exhaustion, and a desire for change.
• It shows that modern elegies can be loud, angry, and activist.

If you’re looking for examples include elegies that intersect with social justice and the Black Lives Matter movement, this poem is a powerful place to start.

For more context on health, trauma, and systemic racism, organizations like the American Public Health Association discuss how violence and discrimination affect mental and physical health.

Contemporary and 2024-era trends: how elegy is evolving

In the last decade, and especially by 2024–2025, elegies have expanded beyond the traditional poem-on-a-page. When people now ask for examples of definition of elegy, the answer often includes:

• Poems about climate grief and environmental loss.
• Elegies for disappearing languages or cultures.
• Online elegies shared on social media after public tragedies.

Climate grief as elegy

Many contemporary poets write elegies for glaciers, coral reefs, and endangered species. These might not mourn a single human death, but they still fit the definition of elegy: they express sorrow, reflect on what’s gone, and ask what it means for the future.

For example, poets in journals like Poetry and The New Yorker have published climate elegies that treat melting ice or burning forests as subjects of mourning. These are modern examples of examples of definition of elegy that respond directly to climate change and environmental anxiety.

If you’re curious about the broader science behind climate‑related loss and its impact on mental health, organizations like the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences offer accessible overviews of environmental change and human wellbeing.

Digital elegies and social media

In 2024 and 2025, many people experience elegy first on a screen. Think about:

• Long Instagram captions remembering someone who died.
• Twitter/X threads sharing stories after a public tragedy.
• TikTok videos where people read poems for lost friends.

These may not always look like traditional poems, but they often follow the same pattern as literary examples of definition of elegy: they name the loss, express grief, share memories, and try to find meaning.

Writers are also publishing formal elegies that reference hashtags, news feeds, and streaming culture. The content is modern, but the emotional structure is ancient.

How to recognize an elegy: patterns across all examples

Once you’ve seen enough examples of definition of elegy, certain patterns jump out, whether the poem is from the 1600s or 2024.

Across the best examples, elegies tend to:

• Name or imply a loss. A person, a community, a place, or even a way of life has ended or changed.
• Express emotion. Sadness, anger, regret, confusion, or all of the above.
• Reflect and question. The speaker often asks “Why?” or “What now?”
• Seek some kind of movement. Not every elegy ends in comfort, but many move toward acceptance, understanding, or at least clearer naming of the pain.

When you’re looking at a poem and wondering if it fits the definition of elegy, ask:

• Is there a sense of mourning or lament?
• Does the poem linger on memory or tribute?
• Does it feel like the speaker is talking from the other side of a loss?

If the answer is yes, you’re probably looking at an elegy—or at least a poem that borrows heavily from elegiac traditions.

Using these examples of definition of elegy in your own writing

Seeing examples of examples of definition of elegy can do more than help you pass a test. It can also give you a framework for writing about your own losses.

If you’d like to try writing an elegy, you might:

• Start with a specific memory of the person or thing you’re mourning, like Trethewey’s fishing lesson or Komunyakaa’s memorial wall.
• Let yourself be honest about your feelings, even if they’re messy, like Jonson’s mix of love and anger or Danez Smith’s rage and grief.
• Allow the poem to ask questions, like Auden wondering what poetry can do or Tennyson wrestling with faith.
• Don’t force a happy ending. Some of the strongest examples include endings that are unresolved but clearer, where the speaker simply understands their grief better.

If you’re dealing with intense grief in your own life, poetry can be one tool among many. For additional support, resources from organizations such as the National Institute of Mental Health discuss healthy ways to cope with loss and when to seek professional help.

FAQ about elegies and examples

What is an example of a famous elegy in English literature?

One widely taught example of a famous elegy is Thomas Gray’s Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard. It mourns the unnamed dead of a rural village and reflects on social class, memory, and mortality. Many teachers use it as a primary example of definition of elegy because it clearly shows grief, reflection, and a meditative tone.

Can an elegy be about something other than a person’s death?

Yes. Modern examples of elegy often mourn lost homes, lost cultures, environmental destruction, or even the end of a relationship. As long as the poem centers on loss, expresses lament, and reflects on its meaning, it can fit the definition of elegy.

Are all sad poems examples of elegy?

Not necessarily. A poem can be sad without being an elegy. To count as an example of definition of elegy, there usually needs to be a clear sense of mourning for something that has ended, along with reflection on that loss. A poem about feeling generally depressed, for instance, might be lyric or confessional rather than elegiac.

What are some modern examples of elegy I can read online?

You can find modern elegies in journals like Poetry, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic. Poems by Natasha Trethewey, Danez Smith, Tracy K. Smith, and Ocean Vuong often include elegiac elements. Many of these are strong real examples of definition of elegy that speak to 21st‑century experiences.

How can I tell if a poem I wrote is an elegy?

Ask yourself:

• Am I mourning a specific loss or death?
• Does the poem move beyond description into reflection or questioning?
• Do I try, in some way, to honor or remember what was lost?

If you can answer yes to these, your poem likely fits comfortably among examples of definition of elegy, even if it also belongs to other categories like lyric, confessional, or political poetry.

By spending time with these varied examples of examples of definition of elegy—from Gray and Whitman to Trethewey and Smith—you build a mental library of patterns. The next time you encounter a poem about loss, you’ll be able to recognize its elegiac moves, and if you choose, borrow them for your own writing.