In cathedral say lines recited (5)
I believe the answer is:
elegy
'lines recited' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'in cathedral say' is the wordplay.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'cathedral' becomes 'ely' (cathedral city in Cambridgeshire).
'say' becomes 'eg' (both can mean 'for example').
'ely' going around 'eg' is 'ELEGY'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for elegy that I've seen before include "Requiem" , "Sorrowful poem/song" , "Poetic lament (in a country churchyard?)" , "Mournful song or poem" , "Poem of mourning" .)