Lenore

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feminine given name often associated with a literary or poetic figure; a character in a famous poem symbolizing lost love and mourning; a name invoking themes of melancholy and mystery
2. A woman's name frequently linked to a tragic muse in classic poetry; referring to an idealized figure embodying sorrow and remembrance; used to evoke a sense of romantic despair and elegance
3. A proper name commonly recognized through its literary usage as a symbol of death and lament; denoting a character representing lost affection and haunting beauty; employed to suggest a mood of deep emotional reflection and loss

Etymology: Lenore is a shortened form of Eleanor, and the loss of its opening syllable is the whole trick. Eleanor itself came into use in English through the Old French name Aliénor, and the "El-" beginning was dropped over time, leaving the sound "Lenore" behind. The poetic association owes much more to one author than to the name's history: Edgar Allan Poe's 1845 poem "The Raven" uses "Lenore" for the dead beloved whom the speaker mourns, and that single choice fixed the name in readers' minds as a symbol of grief and lost love. Since Poe's poem, "Lenore" has carried that melancholy aura, which is why it reads as elegant and sorrowful even though, as a name, it is simply a clipped version of a far more ordinary one.