Elements of Lyric Poetry and Literary Devices

The Genre of Lyric Poetry

Lyric poetry belongs to the literary genus that refers to the world of feelings and emotions—the influence and impact of reality on the human spirit, specifically within the writer's inner world, which leads to a unique mood or emotion. Lyric poetry encompasses all works written in verse or prose that express intimate, individual, and personal feelings and emotions.

Key Elements of Lyric Poetry

• Object of the Lyric

  The circumstance or event causing a particular mood in the poet.

• Reason of the Lyric

  The underlying concept or idea in a specific poetic composition. This idea or concept represents the most important message, often being an abstract noun, such as sadness, love, loneliness, longing, or anguish. In other words, it refers to the feeling that arises from the mood and circumstance.

• The Lyrical Speaker (Hablante Lyrical)

  The fictional character or entity created by the poet to convey their reality, their unique way of seeing and feeling, to the reader. The lyrical speaker delivers the content of the poem, conveying impressions, feelings, and emotions, and is responsible for showing the poet's reality.

Common Literary Devices (Figures of Speech)

These devices are used to enhance meaning and style:

• Metaphor

  An implicit comparison between two unlike things.

• Comparison (Simile)

  An explicit comparison, often using connecting words like "as" or "like."

• Personification (Prosopopoeia)

  Attributing human characteristics or qualities to inanimate objects or animals.

• Hyperbole

  Exaggeration used for emphasis or effect.

• Hyperbaton

  Altering the conventional or logical order of words in a sentence.

The Communication Process and Linguistic Functions

The communication process involves several elements, each associated with a specific linguistic function:

• Context: Referent (Referential Function) and Location (Situational Function).
• Transmitter (Sender): Expressive Function.
• Receptor (Receiver): Appellative Function.
• Message: Poetic Function.
• Code: Metalinguistic Function.
• Channel: Phatic Function.

Techniques of Characterization (Portraiture)

Character description relies on combining physical and psychological traits:

• Prosopography (Physical Description)

  Focuses on physical traits, appearance, and abilities.

• Etopeya (Psychological Description)

  Focuses on internal traits, including personal ideology, beliefs, attitude, face, and gestures.

Narrative Structure and Character Types

Narrative Time

Narrative time can be structured in various ways:

• Circular Time: History rebuilds itself, often associated with concepts like the butterfly effect, where events succeed all the time, sometimes involving elements like déjà vu, dream destinations, or parallel timelines.

• Anachronies (Ruptures of Time)

  Deviations from the chronological order of the narrative:

  • Analepsis (Flashback): A rupture to the past (instant or longer recount).
  • Prolepsis (Flashforward): A rupture to the future (often seen in science fiction or futurism).

Character Roles and Development

Characters are categorized by their importance and change throughout the narrative:

• Roles: Main, Secondary, and Tertiary (Incidental) characters.
• Development:
  • Static: The character does not change throughout the story.
  • Dynamic: The character undergoes significant change or development.

Grammatical Forms in Narrative

Narrative often utilizes specific verbal forms:

• Gerund: Indicates an action in progress.
• Participle: Indicates the completion of an action, often used in compound forms (e.g., Periphrasis, where compound forms are found).