Understanding Lyric Poetry and Figures of Speech

Lyric Poetry: Expressing Emotions and Feelings

Lyric is a literary genre in which the author conveys feelings, emotions, or sentiments about a person or object of inspiration.

Hyperbole: Definition and Usage

Hyperbole, from the Greek word ὑπερβολή (excess), is a figure of speech consisting of an exaggerated and intentional alteration of the reality being represented (a situation, characteristic, or attitude), either by excess (aúxesis) or by default (tapínosis). Hyperbole aims to achieve greater expressiveness.

Poetry: Definition and Historical Context

Poetry (from the Greek word ποίησις 'creation' < ποιέω = "create") is a kind of literary genre. It is also framed as a mode of textual expression (this is as a type of text). It is common now to use the term "poetry" as a synonym for "lyric poetry" or "lyrical." However, from a historical and cultural point of view, this is a subgenre or subtype of poetry.

For the ancients, a poem was any literary composition, since the word comes from the Greek verb ποιήμα (poiesis). A poem is any literary composition conceived as an artistic expression of beauty through the word, especially one that is subject to the measure and cadence of the verse. People often speak of epic poetry (then narrative), lyrical poetry (intended for the song of the manual five-string harp known as the "lyre"), and dramatic poetry, intended to be staged.

The Lyrical Speaker and Lyrical Reason

The lyric speaker conveys their feelings and emotions; the speaker in the poem expresses their inner world.

Lyrical Reason: The idea expressed in poetry; the sentiment; "contempt" for the act that the youth assumed.

The Lyrical Reason in Poetry

The Lyrical Reason refers to the subject expressed in the poem that relates to the "lyrical subject," which is what the poet draws inspiration from, what motivates and drives them to create. The lyrical reason is the result of putting the "lyrical object" into writing and is transmitted through the speaker.

Metaphor: Definition and Example

The word metaphor comes from the Latin concept metaphora, and this, in turn, from a Greek word meaning "transfer." It is the application of a word or phrase to a concept or object, which it does not literally denote, to suggest a comparison with another concept or object and make it easier to understand. For example: "His eyes are emeralds."

Personification: Definition and Usage

Personification (or Prosopopeya) is a rhetorical figure that attributes qualities of animate beings to inanimate, corporeal, or other abstract qualities, or actions and qualities of human beings to those who are not, giving them a life of their own. It is a widely used resource in fables and fairy tales. Personification is within the literary figures of fiction.

Comparison or Simile: Definition

The comparison is a simile or figure of speech that establishes an explicit link between a term and real or imagined qualities of an allegorical nature. This comparison is typically marked by "as," "is," "that," or "resembles."

Figures of Speech: Definition

Figures of speech are words or phrases that are used to emphasize an idea or feeling. This emphasis is achieved when the author, speaker, or creator deviates from the literal sense of the word or phrase, or when it is given a different sense than commonly used.