What is the literary form that expresses sorrow for someone's death?

The literary form that expresses sorrow for someone's death is an elegy. An elegy is a reflective poem or song, typically mourning the loss of a person or contemplating a significant theme such as death or loss. This form of expression allows poets and writers to articulate their grief and to commemorate the deceased in a poignant and artistic manner.

While a eulogy is a speech delivered at a funeral to honor the deceased, it is not classified as a literary form but rather a spoken tribute. A memorial can refer to any act or structure dedicated to preserving the memory of a person or event, but it does not specifically denote a poetic or literary form. Lament generally conveys a broader sense of grief and can refer to expressions of sorrow in various contexts, not exclusively tied to death.

In contrast, the elegy is distinguished by its formal structure and emotional depth, making it the appropriate answer for this question regarding the literary expression of mourning.