Lyric Poetry: Origin & Development

LYRIC: ORIGIN & DEVELOPMENT

Literature has been written in different forms like novel, poetry, drama, short story, biography and so on but the most ancient form of literature is poetry. It existed even during the ancient times in all literatures and languages. The great Greek philosopher Aristotle has classified poetry into three groups - lyric poetry, dramatic poetry and epic poetry.

ETYMOLOGY OF THE TERM LYRIC:

The term “lyric” comes from a Greek word “lyre” which was an ancient musical instrument during the olden times. People used to sing some songs in the company of this musical instrument called a “lyre”, that is why these songs were later on named as lyrics.

LYRICS DURING THE ANCIENT PERIOD:

Pindar and Sappho who lived during the 5th and 6th centuries BC in Greece are known as the most ancient lyric poets of Greek literature. In those times, mainly there were two kinds of lyrics – Choral Lyrics (sung by chorus or a group of singers) and Monody Lyrics (sung by a single singer). Coral lyrics were mainly sung at some public places on some religious occasions and ceremonies and Monodies were sung at private gatherings only. Common themes of these ancient lyrics were love, marriage, religion, war, patriotism etc.

LYRICS DURING THE MIDDLE AGES:

Romans translated lyric poetry to Latin in the classical period, and the poems came to be recited and not sung. The meter and structure of the poems still existed. In Europe, during the Renaissance, poets created lyric poetry with influence from ancient Greece, Persia, and China. Petrarch, an Italian poet was an important lyric poet during the 14th century.

LYRICS DURING THE ELIZABETHAN AGE:

Thomas Wyatt has been considered as the father of lyric poetry in English literature. He imitated the Italian poet Petrarch and brought lyrics to England. Lyrical poetry became the most popular, significant, and representative literary genre of the Elizabethan age. Legouis rightly remarked, "England, Merry England, was a nest of singing birds." There were a host of poets who started writing hundreds of lyrics and hence England was termed as “a nest of singing birds”. Lyrics and songs became the order of the day. Legouis further observes, "And the song was everywhere, sung in halls and parlours and trolled along the roads. It was in towns and in the country, on the stage and in romances. It filled whole collections; some poets specialized in it...England, destitute of the plastic arts, became the impassioned lover of poems." Thomas Wyatt, Robert Southwell, Shakespeare, Spenser, Sidney etc were the most outstanding lyric poets of the age. They all were writing romantic kind of lyrics. Following collections of lyrics speak of its popularity.

• The Paradise of Dainty Devices, 1576.

• A Gorgeous Gallery of Gallant Inventions, 1578.

• A Handful of Pleasant Delights, 1584:

• The Phoenix Nest, 1593.

• The Passionate Pilgrim. 1599.

• England's Helicon 1600.

• England's Parnassus 1600.

LYRICS DURING THE 17TH CENTURY:

Lyric poetry enjoyed its hay day during the 16th century which was much romantic by nature. But the lyrics of the 17th century were rebellious by nature. Metaphysical lyrics were first introduced by John Donne. His lyrics were highly intellectual. Hence, intellect took place of emotions. These lyrics were full of wit and conceits. John Donne, Andrew Marwell, Katherine Philips were the major metaphysical poets of this age. Some devotional lyrics by John Donne and John Milton also became widely popular during this era.

LYRICS DURING THE 18TH CENTURY:

18th century is known as the age of prose literature. Periodical essays and novels were highly popular among the readers. Hence, there were only a few lyric poets who continued the spirit of writing poetry. James Thomson and Collins were perhaps the only two poets who kept the flame of lyric poetry burning during this age of prose. James Thomson’s long, reflective landscape poems published as an anthology entitled as ‘The Seasons’ (1730) commanded much attention and affection for at least 100 years after he wrote it.

LYRICS DURING THE 19TH CENTURY:

The beginning of 19th century is regarded as the second golden period of lyrics in English literature. It is also known as the period of Neo Romanticism. William Wordsworth and S. T. Coleridge published ‘Lyrical Ballads’ in 1798 which is considered as the beginning of romantic revival. P. B. Shelley, John Keats, William Blake, Lord Byron and others popularized lyrics from 1798 to 1930. Later during the Victorian age Tennyson and Browning also wrote lyrics of great stuff.

CONCLUSION:

In short, we may conclude by saying that lyric poetry existed during the 5th and 6th centuries BC in Greek literature. In English literature, it was brought by Thomas Wyatt and has been celebrated as the most popular form of poetry from 16th century onwards.

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