Meaning & use
lyrical poem
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Meanings
nouncountable
A short poem that expresses personal feelings in a song-like, rhythmic way.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a lyrical poem' or 'lyrical poems'.
Patterns
- a lyrical poem about something
- write a lyrical poem
She wrote a lyrical poem about her childhood by the sea.
The teacher asked us to analyze a lyrical poem by Wordsworth.
His lyrical poem was set to music and performed at the school concert.
nouncountableliterary
A poem that is suitable to be sung, often accompanied by a lyre or music.
Grammar: Countable; often used in historical or literary contexts.
Patterns
- a lyrical poem for voice and lyre
In ancient Greece, a lyrical poem was often performed with a lyre.
The choir sang a lyrical poem composed in the 16th century.
Word forms
| plural | lyrical poems |
|---|
Common combinations
- write a lyrical poem
- He decided to write a lyrical poem for his girlfriend's birthday.
- a lyrical poem about nature
- The anthology includes a lyrical poem about nature and the changing seasons.
- recite a lyrical poem
- At the poetry reading, she recited a lyrical poem from memory.
- a lyrical poem by [poet]
- We studied a lyrical poem by Emily Dickinson in class.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lyric poem
- This is a more common variant; 'lyrical poem' is slightly less frequent but equally correct.
- song
- A song is meant to be sung, while a lyrical poem may or may not be set to music.
Word family
Commonly confused: lyrical poem or lyric?
lyrical poem vs lyric
A lyric is a poem or the words of a song; a lyrical poem is a specific type of poem that is song-like.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'lyrical poem' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The preposition 'about' is used to indicate the subject of the poem. 'To', 'for', and 'with' do not fit this context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “lyrical poem”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.