Title: A General Survey of the Aesthetic and Ritual Functions of the English Elegy

Abstract: The English elegy originated from ancient Greek songs of lament, assuming over its long history of developmentan extraordinary range of diversities, which has resulted in academic bewilderment over the definition and function of elegy. Lamentation has always been the key emotional basis of the elegy. By sticking to both the aesthetic and ritual function, the English elegy has transformed into the pastoral elegy, the funeral elegy, and the professional elegy, characterized by flexible forms and varied emotions. With its built-in attention to form and content, the English elegy is equipped to meet the aesthetic requirements of poetry and the communal need for understanding the time-honored and inexplicable topic of death.

Keywords: English elegy, aesthetic function, ritual function

Authors: Lei Zhang, Ph. D candidate, School of Foreign Languages, Beihang University, Beijing, China; Yu Peng, Professor, School of Foreign Languages, Beihang University, Beijing, China.