Poignancy (6)
I believe the answer is:
pathos
'poignancy' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
This is all the clue.
(Other definitions for pathos that I've seen before include "The quality moves one to pity" , "feeling of pity" , "At shop for poignancy" , "Literary style arousing feelings of sorrow and sympathy" , "Quality of attracting pity" .)