TYPES OF LYRIC:
SONNET, BALLAD, ELEGY, ODE
There are four major types of lyrics written in English literature. They are sonnet, ballad, elegy and ode. Let’s discuss them one by one.
1. SONNET: DEFINITION & TYPES:
A sonnet is a type of lyric written in 14 iambic pentameter lines. Traditionally, sonnets were written on the theme of love. With the passage of time, new experiments were done by the poets and they were written on the themes of politics, nature, religion, spirituality, war, friendship etc. Sonnets were first introduced in English literature by Thomas Wyatt during the 16th century. In English literature, we come across different types of sonnets developed by different poets. Let’s discuss them.
(A) PETRARCHAN SONNET:
Petrarchan sonnet was the first type of sonnet to gain popularity in England. Originally, it was first popularized by an Italian poet Francesco Petrarch in 1300s. Sir Thomas Wyatt imitated this Italian sonnet and started writing sonnets in English following Petrarchan pattern.
Petrarchan sonnets have 14 lines—divided into an octave (a stanza of eight lines) and a sestet (a stanza of six lines). The rhyme scheme of Petrarchan sonnet is ABBA ABBA CDCCDC or ABBA ABBA CDECDE. They are most commonly written in iambic pentameter lines. As the Petrarchan sonnet is divided into two sections, the poet asks questions in the first section (octave) and reaches an answer in the second section (sestet). Thematically, the octave, or first eight lines, often makes a proposition, which asks a question or describes a problem. The sestet, or final six lines, proposes a resolution or solution.
(B) SHAKESPEAREAN SONNET:
Shakespearean sonnet is also known as the English sonnet or Elizabethan sonnet. It has been named after William Shakespeare. He made changes in the stanza and rhyme patterns of the Petrarchan sonnet. Shakespeare wrote 154 sonnets.
English sonnets have three quatrains and one couplet instead of an octave and a sestet. It follows an ABAB CDCD EFEF GG rhyme scheme. A single quatrain is made up of four lines of verse, and a couplet is made up of two lines. Like Petrarchan sonnets, English sonnets are usually in a Question & Answer format. Here the poet poses a question or a problem in the first three quatrains. The last couplet brings the answer or solution.
(C) SPENSERIAN SONNET:
Spenserian sonnet is named after Edmund Spenser, the poet’s poet. These sonnets use the same structure as English sonnets (three quatrains and a couplet). But there is a difference of rhyme scheme. Spenserian sonnet follows the rhyming of ABAB BCBC CDCD EE.
(D) MILTONIC SONNET:
Miltonic sonnet is named after John Milton, the only epic poet of English literature. Here, we find the same rhyme scheme (ABBAABBA CDECDE) and structure (an octave and a sestet) of a Petrarchan sonnet. But it is different from other types in matters if theme. Miltonic sonnets deal with politics and moral issues and they use a poetic device called enjambment to tighten the sonnet’s structure. Enjambment means the continuation of a sentence without a pause beyond the end of a line, couplet, or stanza.
2. BALLAD: DEFINITION & TYPES:
Ballad is a type of lyric which is also known as folk song. Ballad existed in oral literature in the ancient times. It is an ancient form of telling stories. There are similarities between epic and ballad and so ballad is also termed as “Miniature epic”.
Ballad, written in quatrains, is a short narrative poem which often tells a story. It narrates religious, mythological, historical or war stories. It has characters, dialogues and plot line. Dialogues impart a dramatic touch to these poems. It has musical quality as it is meant to be sung. Ballad is usually written in iambic tri or tetrameter lines.
The term 'Ballad' derived from the medieval French word 'balladée' or 'ballade', which were originally "dance songs". The earliest ballads were produced in Spain and France during the 13th century. These ballads were expressions of romantic love, often telling the story of the poet meeting and falling in love with his beloved.
In English literature, there are two types of ballads – Folk or Traditional Ballad and Literary Ballad. Folk (or traditional ballad) is a kind of ballad with no written form. It is a verbal sort of poetry that was passed down to generations through word of mouth. The Literary ballad is an imitation of the traditional ballad. The only difference between the two ballads is that there is no specific poet who writes folk ballads whereas literary ballads are written by specific poets.
John Keats, S.T. Coleridge, William Wordsworth and many others have written ballads. John Keats’ ‘La Belle Dame sans Merci’, Thomas Hardy’s ‘During Wind and Rain’ and Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘Annabel Lee’ are some of the most popular literary ballads in English literature.
3. ELEGY: DEFINITION & TYPES:
The term "Elegy" is derived from the Greek word "elegus", which means a song of bereavement sung in the company of a flute. It is a type of lyric written to mourn the death of someone near or dear. In Greek and Roman times Elegy referred to any poem composed in elegiac meter. Elegiac meter is constructed in alternating dactylic hexameter and pentameter lines. In English literature, elegy became popular during the 16th century.
Elegy begins with an invocation to muse, like epic. It is personal or subjective where the poet expresses his grief for the loss of something or someone. Questions on destiny, justice, fate are raised by the poet in elegies. Some events of the poet's personal life associated with the deceased are also presented here. Christian elegies begin with a sad note, but end with a happy note, because as per the Christian belief, death releases the soul to eternity.
Elegies are of two kinds - Personal Elegy and Impersonal Elegy. In a personal elegy, the poet laments the death of some close friend or relative. ‘Rugby Chapel' by Arnold is an example of a personal elegy. In impersonal elegy, the poet grieves over human destiny or over some aspect of contemporary life and literature. ‘Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', by Thomas Gray is an example of an impersonal elegy. Other famous elegies of English literature are John Milton's 'Lycidas', Thomas Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', Alfred Tennyson's 'Break Break Break', ‘In Memory of W.B. Yeats’ by W.H. Auden, ‘To An Athlete Dying Young’ by A. E. Housman and ‘Because I Could Not Stop For Death’ by Emily Dickinson
4. ODE: DEFINITION & TYPES:
An ode is a short lyric poem that praises an individual, an idea, or an event. It is serious in tone and has some noble personality to praise. The word "Ode" is derived from the Greek word "aeidein", which means to sing or to chant. It has some musical qualities too. It has a fixed structure written in three parts – strophe, anti-strophe and epode.
In Greek odes, the strophe usually consisted of two or more lines repeated as a unit. In modern usage, the term strophe can refer to any group of verses which introduces a topic. The antistrophe or the second stanza of an ode is structured the same way as the strophe, but typically offers a thematic development. The epode or the last stanza has a different meter and length from the strophe and antistrophe, and serves to summarize or conclude the ideas of the ode.
There are three types of odes in English literature - Pindaric Odes, Horacian Odes and Irregular Odes.
Pindaric odes are named after the ancient Greek poet Pindar, who lived during the 5th century BC. Pindar created this new form of poetry. Pindaric ode consists of a strophe, an antistrophe that is melodically harmonious, and an epode. They are characterized by irregular line lengths and rhyme schemes. ‘Ode on Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood’ by William Wordsworth is a nice example of Pindaric ode.
Horacian odes are named after a Roman poet Horace, who lived during the 1st century. Horacian ode consists of two or four line stanzas also known as couplets or quatrains. They share the same meter, rhyme scheme, and length. John Keats was a great exponent of Horacian odes. ‘Ode on a Grecian Urn,’ ‘To Autumn’, and ‘Ode to a Nightingale’ by John Keats are some popular Horacian odes of English literature.
Irregular odes are called irregular because they follow neither the Pindaric form nor the Horacian form. Irregular odes include irregular rhyme, as well as irregular verse structure and stanza patterns. American poet Allen Tate’s ‘Ode to the Confederate Dead’ is a famous example of irregular ode.
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