Lyric poetry facts for kids

Lyric poetry is a special kind of poetry that shares strong personal feelings and thoughts. It's usually written as if the poet is speaking directly to you, using "I." The word "lyric" comes from ancient Greek times, where poems like these were often sung while someone played a musical instrument called a lyre. Think of it like a song without the music, but still full of emotion!

What is Lyric Poetry?

Lyric poetry is all about expressing emotions, ideas, and personal experiences. It's not usually a long story like an epic poem. Instead, it focuses on a single moment, a feeling, or a thought. Imagine someone writing down exactly how they feel about a beautiful sunset, a lost friend, or a big dream. That's lyric poetry!

The Lyre and Ancient Roots

The very first lyric poems were written in Ancient Greece. Poets like Sappho and Alcaeus would write verses that were meant to be sung. They often used a stringed instrument called a lyre to accompany their singing. This is why we call these poems "lyric" – because they were connected to music and the lyre. Even today, when we talk about the "lyrics" of a song, we mean the words that are sung.

Feelings and First Person

A key part of lyric poetry is that it often uses the "first person." This means the poet uses words like "I," "me," and "my." It makes the poem feel very personal, as if the poet is sharing their own heart and mind with you. They might describe their joy, sadness, love, or wonder.

Famous Lyric Poets

Lyric poetry has been popular for thousands of years, and many famous poets have written in this style.

Modern Lyric Poets

In the 20th century, many poets continued the tradition of lyric poetry. For example, from France, there were Paul Éluard and Paul Valéry. In England, poets like Robert Graves and Ted Hughes wrote powerful lyric poems.

In the United States, important lyric poets included H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), known for her clear and emotional poems. Shel Silverstein wrote many beloved and often funny lyric poems for children and adults. Anne Sexton explored deep personal feelings in her work, and T. S. Eliot also wrote lyric poems that explored complex ideas and emotions.

William Wordsworth was a famous English lyric poet known for his poems about nature and feelings.

Related pages

• Lyrics
• Epic poetry

Images for kids

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  Lyric Poetry (1896) by Henry Oliver Walker, found in the Library of Congress's Thomas Jefferson Building.

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  Alcaeus and Sappho, two famous ancient Greek lyric poets, shown on an Attic red-figure calathus from around 470 BC.

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  Benjamin Haydon's 1842 portrait of William Wordsworth.

See also

In Spanish: Poesía lírica para niños