Elegy

• outlines the origins of elegy, and the characteristics of the genre
• examines the psychology and cultural background underlying works of mourning
• explores how the modern elegy has evolved, and how it differs from ‘canonical elegy’, also looking at female elegists and feminist readings
• considers the elegy in the light of writing by theorists such as Jacques Derrida and Catherine Waldby
• looks at the elegy in contemporary writing, and particularly at how it has emerged and been adapted as a response to terrorist attacks such as 9/11.

Emphasising and explaining the significance of elegy today, this illuminating guide to an emotive literary genre will be of interest to students of literature, media and culture.