Lyric, Ode, and Elegy

·         Lyric

A kind of expository progression which causes a poem to become more emotionally profound as it proceeds from beginning to end is the progression found in lyrics. A lyric is usually stanzaic (or written in stanzas), and euphonic, having sweet sounds which please the ear. Consequently, all love poems are lyrics.

Ode and elegy are two varieties of lyric. They are usually longer than lyrics and have more complex pattern of thought and feeling. Therefore, they should be read carefully and thoughtfully.

Ø  Ode

"Ode" comes from the Greek aeidein, meaning to sing or chant, and belongs to the long and varied tradition of lyric poetry. Originally accompanied by music and dance, and later reserved by the Romantic poets to convey their strongest sentiments, the ode can be generalized as a formal address to an event, a person, or a thing not present.

There are three typical types of odes: the Pindaric, Horatian, and Irregular. The Pindaric is named for the ancient Greek poet Pindar, who is credited with inventing the ode. Pindaric odes were performed with a chorus and dancers, and often composed to celebrate athletic victories. The Horatian ode, named for the Roman poet Horace, is generally more tranquil and contemplative than the Pindaric ode. Less formal, less ceremonious, and better suited to quiet reading than theatrical production, the Horatian ode typically uses a regular, recurrent stanza pattern. The irregular ode was created by Abraham Cowley in the 17th Century. The Irregular ode imitates the Pindaric ode style of serious subject matter, but abandons the repeated triad structure and allows each stanza to be individual in its creation. Stanzas vary in number of lines, line length and rhyme scheme.

Ø  Elegy

An elegy is a poem of mourning; this is often the poet mourning one person, but the definition also includes Thomas Gray's 'Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard', which mourns all the occupants of that churchyard, and looks into the future to mourn the poet's own death. The difference between an elegy and a eulogy is that the latter is a speech given to honour someone's best qualities, often (but not necessarily) after their death.