Poetry: LYRIC

Origin:

Greek song was divided into two classes- melic or lyric song which was sung by a single voice to the accompaniment of a lyre; and choric song, which was intended for collective singing to the accompaniment of instrumental music, supplemented, probably, by a dance. True to its Greek origin, Lyric has the two characteristics:

i) it is an expression of a single emotion

ii) it is a musical composition

The music in the Lyric:

In ancient times music provided by the minstrel's harp or lyre formed an external accompaniment to a Lyric. However unpolished the language of the song, it was made musical by the voice of the singer keeping tune with the sound of the instrument. The subject matter also was of little importance so long as the singer's voice could give it the right emotional effect. Later ages discovered the rhythmic possibilities of the words themselves unassisted by music. The Elizabethans, in particular, were past masters of the art of investing words with the highest musical quality. Their lyrics are unrivalled for their word- music or verbal melody. The vowels and consonants are so artistically arranged as to compose a music of their own, independent of the aid of a musical instrument - an art which was closely studied and developed in later times by such poets as Keats, Shelley, Tennyson and Swinburne. Here is a stanza from Tennyson, which has been universally praised for its word- music. Note the alliteration and the artistic arrangement of the consonants, r,n,s,f and I.

O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,

And thinner, clearer, farther going!

O sweet and far from cliff and scar

The horns of Elfland faintly blowing!

There is sufficient music in the words themselves. The lyric has become independent of the lyre.

The Subject matter of the Lyric:

The lyric gives expression to a single emotion or feeling. It appeals more to the heart than to the intellect. Just as the songs we sing are usually not very lengthy, so a lyrical poem is as a rule quite brief. When he chooses the lyric form the poet does not intend to make any long flight: he wishes to convey his impression swiftly, memorably and musically. Indeed Edgar Allan Poe, the American poet who wrote several famous lyrics, declared that a long lyric was not possible, as "that degree of excitement which would entitle a poem to be so called at all, cannot be sustained through a composition of any great length". Thus the term Lyric is usually understood to cover the song, the ode, the sonnet and such poems as, in the definition given by Palgrave in the preface to his Golden Treasury, "turn on some single thought, feeling, or situation ". It goes without saying that the Lyric is a Subjective poem, for since it expresses the poet's emotions, it cannot help being intensely personal.

The Structure of the Lyric:

The lyric can be divided into three distinct parts, corresponding to the three moods through which the poet passes when inspired by some emotion:

1). First part, states the emotion or the subject

2). Second part, which forms the bulk of the poem, consists of the thoughts suggested by the emotion. By this time it is well advanced in intensity and therefore the expression reaches its highest pitch of eloquence or passion. 

3). Third part, marks the poet's return to his initial mood, the mood of reason. Unlike the first two parts, the closing part tends to be intellectual in character, embodying, often, a judgement, a pointed summary and ending with a parting smile or sigh.

Essential features of a Lyric:

1). It is a sort poem, dealing with a single emotion

2).It is a musical poem, word-music being an important element in its effect

3).It is a Subjective poem, expressing the varying moods of the author

4).It is a well-knit poem, possessing a definite structure. The division into three parts, however, should not be pressed too far. Some lyrics may not reach an intellectual conclusion at all. A poet's emotion is a law unto itself and pursues a course no critic can prescribe.

Activity:

Analyze the following poem and identify the lyrical elements:

TO BLOSSOMS

Fair pledges of a fruitful tree,

why do ye fall so fast?

Your date is not so past,

But you may stay yet here awhile

To blush and gently smile,

And go at last.

What, were ye born to be

An hour or half's delight,

And so to bid good night?

'Twas pity Nature brought ye forth

Merely to show your worth

And lost you quite.

But you are lovely leaves, where we 

May read how soon things have

Their end, though ne'er so brave:

And after they have shown their pride

Like you awhile, they glide

Into the grave.