Lyric Poetry
An introduction with a romanticism twist
Song lyrics
On a separate sheet, write down your
favorite song lyric (if it is explicit, make
sure you use *** to indicate that). In about
a sentence, explain what is so appealing
to you about that song lyric.
What is Lyric Poetry?
Lyric poetry expresses the personal
thoughts and feelings of a single speaker.
Have a melodious, song like structure
Use imagery, sound devices, and figurative
language
“Poetry . . . is. . . a speaking picture
. . . ” —Sir Philip Sidney
Figurative Language
Simile: comparing two apparently unlike
things, using like or as
Metaphor: comparing two apparently
unlike things without using like or as
Personification: giving human traits to
something nonhuman
Oxymoron: juxtaposing two opposite or
contradictory words that reveal an
interesting truth
Sound Devices
 Repetition: repeated use of sounds, words, phrases, or
sentences. Poets use repetition for emphasis as well as
to create a musical effect. There are three popular
devices that rely on repetition:
“The
fair
breeze
the white
 Alliteration:
repetitionfiend
ofblew,
initial consonant
sounds foal
“a
frightful
/
Doth
close
“The
western
wave
was
all

Consonance:
repetition
of
final
consonant
sounds
“With
heavy
thump,
a
lifeless
flew…”
behind…”
 Assonance:
repetition of similar vowel sounds
aflame.”
 Rhyme:lump,…”
repetition of sounds at the ends of words.
 End rhyme is the most common type of rhyme, which occurs
when rhyming words appear at the ends of lines.
 Internal rhyme occurs when rhyming words appear within
the same line.
 Onomatopoeia: use of words that imitate sounds—for
example, words like ring, boom, and growl.
Lyrical Ballads
Poetry is….
“the spontaneous overflow of powerful
feelings.”
Coleridge and Wordsworth
Ignoring the “love element” for a
moment…
What makes this line romantic?
Focus on individual emotion
Comparison and link to nature
My love for you is like a red,
red, rose
The Natural Element
Comparisons are often made to nature…
why?
“Nature” a creative and controlling force in the
universe
An inner force or the sum of such forces in an
individual.
Okay, so what makes it Lyrical?
Expresses the thoughts and emotions of
one speaker…
“MY”
First person
Words and emotions create the tone of
the poem
What is the tone?
What techniques are used?
Simile or Metaphor?
Imagery?
Alliteration?
Rhyme?
What words are used?
Love
Red
Rose
COMPARISON
LOVE
ROSE
Can you replace any of the words and
achieve the same effect?
Yellow, white, pink?
Tulip, daffodil, lily?
Like, hate, tolerate?
So…how do words hold
power?
Explain.
A Red, Red Rose
Robert Burns
Listen to the poem…
Identify the techniques used to
make the musical quality.
Now, Listen to the musical
tune
Burns’ poem as an old Scottish
ballad.
Is it what you expected?
Explain.
Does the tone change when
music is added?
Explain.
GUESS WHAT! Now you get to practice
using words with power! Yahoooooooo!
Step 1: Fill in the following sentence stem
choosing appropriate words to go in the
blanks
My _________ for ___________ is like a(n)
(emotion)
_________ __________.
(adjective)
(noun from nature)
(noun)
STEP 2: You can either…
 Write a 4 line poem
and a 2-3 sentence
interpretation of your
poem using
vocabulary related to
romanticism
 Write an 8 line poem
using at least 2 sound
devices.