A threnody is a wailing ode, song, hymn or poem of mourning, composed or performed as a memorial to someone who has died. Its name comes from the Greek words for wailing and song, related terms include dirge, lament and elegy, and notable examples include John Dryden's Threnodia Augustalis for Charles II of England and Ralph Waldo Emerson's Threnody for his own son.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleThrenody by Ralph Waldo Emerson 1 Defining TraitA wailing ode, song, hymn or poem of mourning performed as a memorial to the dead 1 Sources
1. Threnody - Wikipedia
Lead section, etymology sentence
The term originates from the Greek word threnoidia, from threnos ("wailing")
Lead section, examples sentence
John Dryden commemorated the death of Charles II of England in the long poem Threnodia Augustalis, and Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote a "Threnody" in memory of his son.
Lead section, definition sentence
A threnody is a wailing ode, song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person.
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