Poetic Form
Lament
From Latin lamentum: wailing. One of the oldest poetic modes; the Hebrew Lamentations, the Irish keen, and the Greek threnos are all forms of lament.
Definition
A poem expressing personal or communal grief over loss, defeat, exile, or death.
Example
The Wife's Lament (Old English, c.10th c.): a woman mourns her exile from her lord and community.