ELEGY, n. A composition in verse, in which, without employing any of t… — The Devil's Dictionary
SAPIR 861
ELEGY, n. A composition in verse, in which, without employing any of the methods of humor, the writer aims to produce in the reader's mind the dampest kind of dejection. The most famous English example begins somewhat like this:
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (WLC), CC BY 4.0