What is a Lyric Poem: Definition & Examples

A lyric poem is a short piece of verse that sings, well, not literally anymore, but it definitely has a sing-songy quality. Here are some key features of a lyric poem:

• Expresses feelings: It’s all about the speaker’s emotions and inner world. Love, loss, joy, despair – all are fair game for lyric poems.
• Musicality: These poems use rhyme, rhythm, and other sound devices to create a musical effect. Imagine yourself reciting it aloud – if it feels flowing and rhythmic, it’s probably a lyric poem.
• Short and focused: Lyric poems are tight and to the point, unlike epic poems that tell long stories.
• First person: The speaker is usually the poet themselves, directly expressing their thoughts and feelings.

Lyric poems come in many flavors, from sonnets to odes, but they all share this focus on heartfelt emotions and musicality.

Lyric Poem Definition 

A lyric poem is a type of poetry that expresses personal emotions or thoughts of the speaker, often in a highly musical and imaginative style. Unlike narrative poetry, which tells a story, lyric poetry is more focused on conveying feelings, moods, and reflections. It is typically shorter and can be in the form of sonnets, odes, elegies, and other forms. 

The primary feature of a lyric poem is its focus on individual experience and emotional expression, often using first-person perspective. Classic examples of lyric poets include Sappho, Emily Dickinson, and William Wordsworth.

Characteristics of Lyric Poems

Lyric poems have several defining characteristics that set them apart from other types of poetry. Here are some of the key features:

1. Expressive and Emotional: Lyric poems convey the personal feelings, thoughts, and emotions of the speaker. They often explore themes such as love, beauty, nature, sorrow, and joy.
2. Musical Quality: These poems typically have a rhythm and melody, making them pleasing to the ear. The use of rhyme, meter, and other sound devices like alliteration and assonance enhances their musicality.
3. Short and Concise: Lyric poems are generally brief, focusing on a single moment, image, or idea. This conciseness allows for intense, concentrated expression.
4. First-Person Perspective: The speaker in a lyric poem often uses the first person (“I”) to create a sense of intimacy and direct connection with the reader.
5. Imagery and Figurative Language: Lyric poems frequently use vivid imagery and figurative language, such as metaphors, similes, and personification, to evoke emotions and create a sensory experience for the reader.
6. Subjectivity: The content of a lyric poem is highly subjective, presenting the speaker’s personal viewpoint and inner experiences rather than objective observations.
7. Variety of Forms: Lyric poetry encompasses various forms, including sonnets, odes, elegies, and villanelles, each with its own specific structure and style.
8. Focus on a Single Theme or Idea: Rather than telling a story or describing multiple events, lyric poems typically concentrate on a single theme, moment, or feeling, allowing for a deep exploration of that subject.
9. Emphasis on Mood and Tone: The tone of a lyric poem is often reflective and introspective, aiming to create a specific mood or emotional atmosphere.

Examples of lyric poetry include William Wordsworth’s “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” Emily Dickinson’s “Because I could not stop for Death,” and John Keats’s “Ode to a Nightingale.” These poems illustrate the personal, musical, and expressive nature of lyric poetry.

What is the structure of a Lyric Poem?

Lyric poems don’t have one strict structural format, but they do tend to share some common features that create their form. Here’s a breakdown of the structure you’ll typically encounter:

Stanzas and Lines:

• Stanzas: Similar to paragraphs in prose, lyric poems are divided into stanzas or verses. These stanzas separate different ideas or moments within the poem.
• Lines: Each stanza is made up of lines, which can vary in length and rhyme scheme.
• Meter: The use of meter, or a regular pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables, is another common feature. Traditional forms of lyric poetry often use specific meters, such as iambic pentameter in sonnets.
• Line Length and Enjambment: The length of lines in lyric poetry can vary, and poets often use enjambment (the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line) to create a flow and enhance the poem’s musicality.

Formality:

• Fixed Forms: Certain types of lyric poems have specific structures:
  • Sonnets: These are 14-line poems with a specific rhyme scheme and meter (often iambic pentameter). There are different types of sonnets, including Shakespearean (ABABCDCDEFEFGG) and Petrarchan (ABBAABBACDCDCD or ABBAABBACDECDE).
  • Odes: These are longer lyric poems with a serious, meditative tone, often praising a person, object, or concept. They may follow a formal structure, like the Horatian ode (regular stanzas) or the Pindaric ode (irregular stanzas).
  • Elegies: These are mournful, reflective poems usually written to lament someone’s death. While they may not have a fixed structure, they often follow a three-part format: lament, praise, and consolation.
  • Villanelles: These have a specific 19-line structure with a strict pattern of repetition and rhyme (ABA ABA ABA ABA ABA ABAA).
• Free Verse: Many contemporary lyric poems are written in free verse, which has no set rhyme scheme or meter (pattern of stressed and unstressed syllables).

Sound Devices:

• Rhyme: Repetition of sounds at the end of lines (e.g., love/dove) creates a sense of musicality and reinforces the poem’s structure.
• Rhythm: The poem might have a specific meter (like iambic pentameter), or it might use a more natural, conversational rhythm depending on the poet’s style.
• Refrain: Some lyric poems include a refrain, a repeated line or group of lines that recurs at regular intervals throughout the poem, adding to its musicality and emphasizing key themes.
• Other sound devices: Alliteration, consonance, assonance (repetition of consonant or vowel sounds) add musicality and emphasis to the poem’s language.

Focus:

• Shifting Focus: Within the stanzas, the poem’s focus may shift slightly as the speaker explores different aspects of their emotions or the central theme.
• Overall Cohesion: Despite these shifts, a well-written lyric poem will maintain a sense of unity throughout, with all elements contributing to a central idea or feeling.

Remember: The structure of a lyric poem is there to serve its content. The poet uses these elements to shape the way their message is delivered and to create a specific effect on the reader.

Types of Lyric Poetry 

Lyric poetry is a broad category that includes various specific forms and types, each with its own characteristics and conventions. Here are some of the most notable types of lyric poetry:

1. Sonnet:
   • Shakespearean (English) Sonnet: Consists of 14 lines written in iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCDEFEFGG. It typically includes three quatrains followed by a final rhymed couplet.
   • Petrarchan (Italian) Sonnet: Also 14 lines, divided into an octave (eight lines) with a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA and a sestet (six lines) with varying rhyme schemes (such as CDCDCD or CDECDE). The shift between the octave and the sestet is called the volta or turn, marking a change in theme or argument.
2. Ode:
   • A formal, often ceremonious lyric poem that addresses and often praises a person, place, thing, or idea. Odes can be Pindaric (structured with a strophe, antistrophe, and epode), Horatian (more personal and reflective with regular stanzas), or Irregular (no set pattern, allowing more freedom).
3. Elegy:
   • A mournful, reflective poem that laments the death of a person or the loss of something significant. Traditionally, it follows a three-part structure: lament, praise for the deceased, and consolation or solace.
4. Villanelle:
   • A 19-line poem with five tercets (three-line stanzas) followed by a quatrain (four-line stanza). It has a specific rhyme scheme (ABA for the tercets and ABAA for the quatrain) and involves repeating two refrains alternately.
5. Sestina:
   • A complex form consisting of six six-line stanzas followed by a three-line envoi (or tornada). The same six words end the lines of each stanza in a rotating order, creating a pattern of word repetition.
6. Ballad:
   • Though often narrative, ballads can also be considered lyrical due to their musical quality and emotional expression. They typically have a simple rhyme scheme (ABAB or ABCB) and are composed of quatrains.
7. Ghazal:
   • A form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. The second line of each couplet ends with the refrain, and the poet’s name often appears in the final couplet.
8. Haiku:
   • A traditional Japanese form consisting of three lines with a syllable pattern of 5-7-5. Haikus often focus on nature, seasons, and fleeting moments, capturing a deep sense of feeling and imagery in a concise format.
9. Free Verse:
   • Lyric poetry that does not adhere to any specific rhyme scheme or meter. It relies on natural rhythms, vivid imagery, and the emotional resonance of the language to create its musical quality.
10. Pastoral:
    • A poem that idealizes rural life and nature. Pastorals often depict shepherds, shepherdesses, and a peaceful, harmonious world.
11. Song Lyric:
    • A poem specifically written to be sung with music. Song lyrics use rhyme, rhythm, and figurative language to create a catchy and memorable effect.
12. Limerick:
    • A five-line poem with a specific rhyme scheme (AABBA) and a meter of anapestic tetrameter (four sets of “da-da-DUM”). Limericks are known for their humor and often contain bawdy or irreverent content.
13. Concrete Poem:
    • A poem whose visual arrangement on the page reflects its meaning or theme. Concrete poems often use words or letters to create shapes or images.

Each of these forms allows poets to explore different themes, structures, and rhythms, offering a wide range of expressive possibilities within the realm of lyric poetry.

How to write a Lyric Poem:

Writing a lyric poem involves capturing personal emotions, thoughts, and experiences in a musical and evocative way. Here are some steps and tips to help you craft a lyric poem:

Steps to Write a Lyric Poem:

1. Choose a Theme or Emotion:
   • Start by deciding what you want to express. This could be an emotion like love, sorrow, joy, or an experience or observation about nature, beauty, or personal reflection.
2. Find Your Voice and Perspective:
   • Lyric poems are often written in the first person to create intimacy. Decide if you will write from your own perspective or adopt a persona.
3. Brainstorm and Free Write:
   • Jot down words, phrases, and images that come to mind when you think about your theme. Let your thoughts flow freely without worrying about form or structure initially.
4. Create Vivid Imagery:
   • Use sensory details and figurative language (metaphors, similes, personification) to evoke strong images and emotions. Paint a picture with your words.
5. Develop a Structure:
   • Decide on a form for your poem. Will it be a sonnet, ode, elegy, or free verse? Each form has its own rules and conventions, but if you’re writing free verse, you have more flexibility.
6. Write a Draft:
   • Begin shaping your thoughts and images into lines and stanzas. Focus on how the poem sounds, paying attention to rhythm, rhyme, and meter if you choose to use them.
7. Refine Your Language:
   • Edit your poem to ensure that every word contributes to the overall emotion and imagery. Cut unnecessary words and clarify your images. Aim for conciseness and impact.
8. Incorporate Sound Devices:
   • Enhance the musical quality of your poem with sound devices such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and internal rhyme. These elements can make your poem more engaging and memorable.
9. Use a Strong Ending:
   • Aim for a powerful conclusion that resonates with the reader. It could be a striking image, a poignant question, or a reflective statement that encapsulates the poem’s theme.
10. Revise and Polish:
    • Read your poem aloud to hear how it flows. Make adjustments for smoother transitions, stronger imagery, and more impactful sounds. Consider feedback from others and revise accordingly

How to write a lyric poem for kids:

Steps to Write a Lyric Poem for Kids:

1. Choose a Fun Theme:
   • Pick a theme that kids can relate to and find interesting, such as animals, seasons, toys, friendship, or adventures.
2. Brainstorm Ideas:
   • Think about the sights, sounds, and feelings associated with your theme. Jot down words and phrases that come to mind. Encourage kids to contribute their ideas if you’re writing with them.
3. Use Simple Language:
   • Write in a way that is easy for kids to understand. Avoid complex words and keep sentences short and clear.
4. Create Vivid Imagery:
   • Use descriptive words that appeal to the senses. Help kids visualize the scenes and emotions you’re describing.
5. Add Rhyme and Rhythm:
   • Children enjoy poems that rhyme and have a musical quality. Choose a simple rhyme scheme (like ABAB or AABB) and maintain a consistent rhythm.
6. Write a Draft:
   • Begin shaping your ideas into lines and stanzas. Focus on making it fun and engaging.
7. Incorporate Repetition:
   • Use repetition of words or phrases to make the poem more memorable and to emphasize key points.
8. Keep It Short and Sweet:
   • Aim for brevity. A shorter poem will be easier for kids to read and enjoy.
9. Revise and Edit:
   • Read the poem aloud to check for flow and clarity. Make adjustments as needed.

Example of Writing a Lyric Poem for Kids:

Theme: A Day at the Zoo

Brainstorm:

• Lions roaring
• Monkeys swinging
• Elephants trumpeting
• Ice cream melting
• Fun and laughter

Draft:

A day at the zoo is full of fun,
Lions roar in the bright, warm sun.
Monkeys swing from tree to tree,
Laughing and playing, just like me.

Refinement:

• Add more sensory details.
• Maintain a playful tone.
• Use repetition for emphasis.

Final Poem:

A day at the zoo is full of fun,
Lions roar in the bright, warm sun.
Monkeys swing from tree to tree,
Laughing and playing, wild and free.

Elephants trumpet, big and loud,
Parrots chatter, drawing a crowd.
Ice cream melts in the midday heat,
A day at the zoo is a special treat!

Tips for Engaging Kids:

• Interactive Reading: Read the poem aloud with kids and encourage them to join in, especially on repeated lines.
• Illustrations: Pair the poem with colorful illustrations that depict the scenes described in the poem.
• Encourage Creativity: After reading, let kids write or draw their own poems about their favorite themes.
• Use Actions: Incorporate simple actions or gestures for kids to do while listening to or reciting the poem.

Here are some additional resources that you might find helpful:

• Children’s Poetry Foundation: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/children
• SheKnows – How to Write a Children’s Poem: https://www.mrsthompsonstreasures.com/poetry-for-kids-html/

With a little creativity, you can craft a lyric poem that will spark a love of poetry in the young minds you write for!

How to Write a Lyric Poem Worksheet

Famous Lyric Poem Examples 

Here are some famous examples of lyric poems, each with a brief explanation of what makes them lyric poems:

1. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed—and gazed—but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

2. “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe (An Excerpt)

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door—
Only this and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December;
And each separate dying ember writhed upon the floor.
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Nameless here for evermore.

3. “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

4. “Because I could not stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death—
He kindly stopped for me—
The Carriage held but just Ourselves—
And Immortality.

We slowly drove—He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility—

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess—in the Ring—
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain—
We passed the Setting Sun—

Or rather—He passed Us—
The Dews drew quivering and Chill—
For only Gossamer, my Gown—
My Tippet—only Tulle—

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground—
The Roof was scarcely visible—
The Cornice—in the Ground—

Since then—'tis Centuries—and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity—

5. “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats (An Excerpt)

My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains
My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk,
Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains
One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk:
'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot,
But being too happy in thine happiness,—
That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees
In some melodious plot
Of beechen green, and shadows numberless,
Singest of summer in full-throated ease.

6. “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns

my Luve's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry.

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will love thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve!
And fare thee weel a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Though it were ten thousand mile.

These examples showcase the emotional depth, vivid imagery, and musical quality that characterize lyric poetry. Each poem offers a glimpse into the poet’s personal experiences and reflections, inviting readers to share in their feelings and perceptions.

Read more about how to write a poem here.

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