Lyric Poetry and Elegy Overview

Lyric Poetry

• Defined as a short, non-narrative poem expressing a single speaker's emotional state.
• Originated from songs accompanied by the lyre in ancient Greece.
• Subcategories include elegy, ode, sonnet, dramatic monologue, and occasional poetry.

Elegy

• Traditionally denoted any solemn poem until the 17th century; now refers to poems lamenting death or loss.
• E.g., Tennyson's "In Memoriam A.H.H." reflects on personal loss.
• Broader elegies focus on themes of death, such as Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard."

Example of an Elegy

• Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" mourns President Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
• The poem conveys themes of grief and homage through its address and imagery.

Ode

• A long lyric poem addressing a particular subject in an elevated style.
• Originated with Greek poetry, notably from Pindar in the 5th century BC.
• Modern odes vary in structure and often lack a formal rhyme scheme.
• E.g., Wordsworth’s "Hymn to Duty" and Keats’ "Ode to a Grecian Urn" exemplify this form.

Example of an Ode

• Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind" invokes natural elements as a metaphor for transformation and renewal.

Sonnet

• Derived from the Italian 'sonetto,' meaning 'little song.'
• Initially a love poem, the sonnet evolved to encompass various themes, including religion, art, and war.
• Comprises a single stanza of typically 14 lines, following intricate rhyme patterns.
• Linked thematic series of sonnets, known as sonnet cycles, are prevalent among poets like Petrarch and Shakespeare.

Petrarchan Sonnet

• Characterized by two stanzas: an octave (first 8 lines) presenting a theme, followed by a sestet (last 6 lines) that addresses the theme.
• Includes a volta (turn) between the 8th and 9th lines.
• Rhyme scheme: ABBA, ABBA, CDE, CDE.

Shakespearean Sonnet

• Consists of three quatrains followed by a concluding couplet (two lines).
• Each quatrain develops a different aspect of the theme, with the couplet providing resolution or insight.
• Rhyme scheme: ABAB, CDCD, EFEF, GG.

Example of a Shakespearean Sonnet

• Shakespeare's sonnet 130 challenges idealized beauty conventions, using vivid comparisons to portray his mistress authentically.

Dramatic Monologue

• A poetic form where a single character speaks, revealing thoughts and feelings directed at an implied audience.

Dramatic Monologue

• A speaker delivers a speech to a silent listener, revealing their character and temperament unintentionally.
• Example: In Robert Browning's "My Last Duchess," the Duke reveals his pride and jealousy while showing a portrait of his deceased wife to a prospective new husband.

Occasional Poetry

• Written for specific occasions such as weddings, deaths, or historical events.
• Examples include:
  • "Epithalamion" by Edmund Spenser for weddings (epithalamion is a wedding poem).
  • "Annus Mirabilis" by John Dryden commemorating the return of a king.
  • Milton's "Lycidas" as a elegy for a friend.

Narrative Poetry

• Tells a story through verse, featuring a sequence of connected events and a narrator.
• Sub-categories include epic, mock-epic, ballad, and romance.
• Themes include love stories (Tennyson's "Maud"), familial tales (Wordsworth's "Michael"), and heroic deeds (Walter Scott's "Lay of the Last Minstrel").

Epic Poetry

• A long narrative that deals with significant themes or subjects, often in an elevated style.
• Features:
  • A heroic figure of great importance.
  • A vast setting and superhuman deeds.
  • Involvement of gods or supernatural aspects.
  • Formal introductions of characters and in medias res beginnings (starting in the midst of action).
• Classic examples include Homer's works and Virgil’s "Aeneid," along with Beowulf and Milton's "Paradise Lost."

Example of an Epic

• Milton's "Paradise Lost" opens by addressing the themes of disobedience and redemption while invoking a muse for inspiration.

Mock-Epic

• Utilizes epic conventions to address trivial subjects, often satirizing societal issues like pretentiousness or superficiality.
• Notable example: Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," which humorously recounts the cutting of a woman's hair.

Explore the world of lyric poetry, a short non-narrative form that expresses emotional states through a single speaker. This quiz covers various types of lyric poetry, including elegies, odes, and sonnets, highlighting their origins and characteristics.