As we continue our series on poetry, today brings us to the elegy. I find the timing of this topic fitting in the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor. People all over the world are angry, and rightly so. While everyone deals with such feelings in their own ways, one way that many find therapeutic and effective is to write. Words on paper have power. They can ease our hurt. They can move others. They can inspire change. So if you are angry or heartbroken or confused or frustrated—whatever your emotion—I encourage you to write it out. Journal until your hand is sore and you can write no more. And when you go back and read what you wrote, if you find truth and honor and courage and justice in your words, share them. Be brave and bold. Speak out. Your words matter.

The word elegy comes from the Greek elegos meaning “poem or song of lament.” The word sounds similar to the word eulogy, but eulogy has a slightly different meaning. Eulogy comes from the Greek eulogia, meaning “praise or to speak well of.” Both are works written about the loss or death of someone or something. Both are written by someone grieving the loss of another, but they have different purposes. Let’s take a closer look at the two.

And eulogy is an essay or short piece of writing about someone’s life. It is written in paragraph form, though it is sometimes read aloud at a funeral. Eulogies are also printed online and in newspapers after someone  passes away to honor their life. Eulogies are a tribute. They are meant to be uplifting, to bring a reflective smile to the listener or reader as they remember the person being written about. I wrote a short eulogy about my father in law here on Go Teen Writers a month or so ago. Click here to read it. As you can see, I shared good things about my father in law. What I loved about him, and the special relationship he and I shared.

An elegy is written in verse. It is a poem or song, and it is written as more of a reflection or lament. In an elegy, the reader should sense the grief of the author. Elegies do not necessarily have to be about death. An elegy could be about a person who has gone away, written, perhaps, by someone whose love has been rejected or of a dear friend who has moved far away. With today’s modern technology connecting every corner of the globe, these types of elegies are not as common as they might have been prior to the inventions of email and cell phones.

One example of an Roman elegy is Carmen 101 by Catullus, written about his brother. Click here to read about it and see the words in Latin side by side with the translated in English.

One of the most famous English elegies is Lycidas by John Milton about his friend Edward King. Click here to read it in full. Another example of an elegy is Elegy For Martin Luther King written by Leopold Sedhar Senghor about the day Dr. King was murdered. It is a powerful poem. Click here to read it.

More familiar to the vast majority of people are elegies written as songs. Few people are as gifted as musicians when writing words to honor those who meant a lot to them. Elegies get me in tears very quickly. The combination of the words and the music, combined with the addition of watching images on a YouTube video, is powerful. I grew deeply somber after watching all these. “Here Today” is a tribute Paul McCartney wrote in honor of John Lennon after he was murdered. Click here to listen and watch. One of the most well-known elegy songs is Don McLean’s “American Pie,” written about Buddy Holly. You can watch and listen to this song in the video below.

Bernie Taupin and Elton John wrote “Candle in the Wind” in honor of Marilyn Monroe. Bernie, who wrote the lyrics, said the song was about how fame sometimes brings a tragic end to many young performers. Elton John struggled with this very thing for the first part of his career. Watching the pictures and videos of young Marilyn with the words of this song made me cry. In 1998 when Princess Diana was killed in a car accident, Elton John rewrote “Candle in the Wind” in honor of Diana, who was a friend. He titled this version “Goodbye England’s Rose.” I greatly admired Princess Diana and was so moved by this version of the song I bought the CD and still have it. To this day the song and Elton’s performance makes me cry. For me, I felt like this second version of the song was even more powerful since Elton John knew Diana. I can hear his broken heart in the words. You can watch him sing it below.

Elegies can be used powerfully in fiction as well. In chapter one of Tolkien’s The Two Towers, Aragorn and Legolas take turns singing a lament for Boromir before sending his body adrift in the river. Aragorn sings the first part, Legolas sings second, then Aragorn finishes with the following:

From the Gate of the Kings the North Wind rides, and past the roaring falls,
And clear and cold about the tower its loud horn calls.
“What news from the North, O mighty wind, do you bring to me today?
What news of Boromir the bold? For he is long away.”
“Beneath Amon Hen I heard his cry. There many foes he fought,
His cloven shield, his broken sword, they to the water brought.
His head so proud, his face so fair, his limbs they laid to rest,
And Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, bore him upon its breast.”
“O Boromir! The Tower of Guard shall ever northward gaze,
To Rauros, golden Rauros-falls, until the end of days.”

Poetry Challenge

Today’s challenge is not one I’m going to ask you to share. I’d like to you journal about the death of someone. This could be a family member or friend. It could be someone from history like Martin Luther King Jr. or Anne Frank. It could be about the deaths of a multitude like those who died on September 11 or the fact that in 2019 there were more mass shootings than days in the year. Or you could write about Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and/or Breonna Taylor. It’s totally up to you, and it’s totally private.

I realize that grief is not something to be forced, but I want you to put pen to paper and write about loss. See what comes out. Since we’re all novelists, we’ll likely all have to write about the death of a character at some point in our writing careers. It can be difficult to write authentically about a fictional death if we’ve never experienced such tragedy in our real lives. So, take the next fifteen to thirty minutes to reflect on the loss of life and see what words come out.

Also, this doesn’t have to be an elegy poem or song of grief. If you prefer, write your piece in a eulogy tribute that highlights the positive attributes of the person and the legacy they left behind. Or just write what you’re feeling without worrying about whether or not your words fit any prescribed format. Again, what you write is totally up to you. This is a tough challenge. But I know how talented you all are, and I believe you can do this. I promise we’ll do something lighter next week. 😉

Wishing you all the right words,

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms, and the author of several young adult fantasy novels including the Blood of Kings trilogy. She loves teaching about writing. She blogs at goteenwriters.com and also posts writing videos on her YouTube channel and on Instagram. Jill is a Whovian, a Photoshop addict, and a recovering fashion design assistant. She grew up in Alaska without running water or electricity and now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two kids. Find Jill online at jillwilliamson.com or on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter.