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jeremiad
Sign in to savethumb|The Jeremiah (prophet)|prophet Jeremiah lamenting the fall of [[Jerusalem, engraving by Gustave Doré, 1866]] A jeremiad is a long literary work, usually in prose, but sometimes in verse, in which the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone of sustained invective, and always contains a prophecy of society's imminent downfall.
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Origins and usage
- Use in American culture
- Role in American politics
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
thumb|The Jeremiah (prophet)|prophet Jeremiah lamenting the fall of [[Jerusalem, engraving by Gustave Doré, 1866]] A jeremiad is a long literary work, usually in prose, but sometimes in verse, in which the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone of sustained invective, and always contains a prophecy of society's imminent downfall.
Generally, the term jeremiad is applied to moralistic texts that denounce a society for its wickedness, and prophesies its downfall. Over time, the impact of the term has faded and has become a general expression for lament. It is often perceived with derogatory overtones.