Origin of the lyrical genre

The lyrical genre is one of the literary genres older and classic that exist. In fact, its appearance dates back to the time of Ancient Greece when the first classical poets emerged who used lyrical language to convey their ideas and emotions. In this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to discover you what is the origin of the lyrical genre and that, thus, you can better understand the emergence of this genre, which is one of the most cultivated in the history of universal literature. We begin this literary journey!

Before delving into the origin of lyric It is important that we describe the meaning of the lyric, so that we can better understand what genre we are talking about and learn to detect it. When we speak of "lyrical" we refer to a style that is used when the poet aims to talk about their feelings and, therefore, shows a subjective view of life and the experience of to live. We are, therefore, before an intimate and personal text that presents us with the inner life of the "creative self."

The name "lyrical" comes precisely because when this type of genre appeared, the verses were accompanied by a lyre, an instrument that put words to music. This means that this genre has a specific musicality and that it has some featuresdetermined that we will summarize here:

• Subjectivity: the lyrical genre usually presents the intimate and personal life of the author / poet. He always speaks from a personal "I" and can deal with intimate subjects, thoughts, emotions, sensations, and so on.
• Figurative language: the lyric also tends to use figurative language to create much more striking and striking images. With the textual game it is possible to transmit a message in a different and effective way.
• In first person: because it is a type of text that speaks from the "I", the vast majority of lyrical texts are written from the first person thus creating a more direct and intimate communication with the reader.
• Verse: also the lyric is a type of text that is generally written in verse. Rhymes predominate and achieve a unique musicality loaded with meaning.

Now that you know lyric better, we will go into the origin of the lyrical genre to learn how this literary genre, which is so important in the history of our literature, emerged. The past of the lyric goes back to the Ancient Greece since it was the Greek poets who began to cultivate a type of poetry that was not intended to be read but was written to be recited. Therefore, the way of reciting these texts was designed in a concrete way: it had to be read by a poet or a choir that was accompanied by a musical instrument that, mostly, it was the lyre since, according to Greek mythology, this was the favorite instrument of Apollo, the god of culture and the arts.

The lyric is the oldest form of poetry and in its origins we find some classic texts such as the Canticles of Moses or The Psalms of David. But it is in India where we find what is considered the oldest text of the lyric and that was written in the fifteenth century BC: the Rig-veda.

It is, therefore, a literary genre whose main characteristic is to convey the emotions and feelings of the poet. Normally the lyric is done through poetry, however, there are also texts written in prose that can also be considered as lyrical.

Poets who cultivated the lyric genre in ancient times

There are many names of the poets and authors who cultivated the lyric. Some of the most recognized are Orpheus, Aeschylus, Sophocles or Euripides. The latter were also the precursors of drama in literature. Pindar was the poet who brought lyric to perfection and who used it at the Olympics.

Roman poets also cultivated this classical genre and, therefore, we find prominent authors such as Horace or Catulus; the latter is considered one of the most prominent Roman lyric poets in history. His poems to Lesbia are well known and are believed to have been addressed to his mistress.

The influence of the lyric continued over the years and in the middle ages she inspired the troubadours to create their songs. The custom of accompanying the lyric with music gradually disappeared over the years until reaching the present day in which they are two different artistic disciplines; however, many artists continue to musicalize some poets' verses, achieving an authentic work of art.

At our more contemporary time we find very important names in Castilian lyric who have become authentic representatives of the genre. Some prominent authors are Rosalía de Castro, Federico Garcia Lorca, Pablo Neruda, Sor Juana Ines De La Cruz, Octavio Paz or César Vallejo.