What makes “The Seafarer” an elegy?

“The Seafarer” is often categorized as an elegy due to its mournful tone and themes of sorrow and loss. The Old English poem, narrated in the first person, details the speaker’s hardships and solitude at sea while lamenting the loss of friends and the life left behind. It also follows the typical structure of an elegy—lament, reflection on the dead or lost, and consolation.