Lyric poetry
Literary term · say it LEER-ik POH-uh-tree
Lyric poetry is poetry that centres on a speaker’s feelings, thoughts, or experience rather than telling a story. Often short, it uses rhythm, sound, and imagery to explore a moment of love, grief, wonder, or reflection.
Three forms of lyric poetry
Sonnet
A sonnet is a fourteen-line poem with an organised pattern of rhythm and usually rhyme. Many sonnets explore a feeling or thought that shifts as the poem unfolds.
In Sonnet 18 of Shakespeare's Sonnets, the speaker compares a beloved person to summer, then considers how poetry can preserve that person’s beauty.
In Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare
Ode
An ode gives sustained attention to a person, object, or idea, often with praise or deep reflection. Its feelings can change as the speaker considers the subject.
In Ode to a Nightingale, the speaker hears a bird singing and longs to escape human suffering, before returning to uncertainty when its song fades.
In Ode to a Nightingale by John Keats
Elegy
An elegy reflects on death or loss. It may mourn one person or consider more broadly what death means for the living.
In Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard, the speaker looks over village graves and reflects on the unnoticed lives and unrealised gifts of those buried there.
In Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray
How to spot lyric poetry
- Look for a speaker exploring a feeling, thought, or moment.
- Notice how sounds, rhythms, and images deepen that experience.
- Follow changes in feeling rather than only looking for events.
What is the difference between lyric poetry and narrative poetry?
Lyric poetry centres on feelings or reflection, while narrative poetry centres on a sequence of events. The two can overlap: a lyric poem may describe something happening, but its main interest lies in what that experience means to the speaker.
Is the speaker in a lyric poem always the poet?
No, the speaker is not always the poet. A poem may draw on personal experience, but its speaker can have a different identity or outlook. Read the words for clues about who is speaking rather than treating every statement as a fact about the poet.
Related terms
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