The lyrical genre is one in which the poet sings his own sentiment. It is of subjective nature because the source, the subject of the inspiration is the poet himself.

The word lyrical is of Greek origin; they used to sing their poems accompanied by a lyre.

The lyrical subgenres are:

The Ode: the deepest movements of the spirit and the most passionate feelings of human heart are expressed through it. The ode is compared to singing. It points its enthusiasm or admiration to the greatness of nature, the glory of the heroes, the high and noble virtues, the patriotic sentiment, etc.

The Hymn: the hymn derives from the ode; its goal is to chant the national glories. It is one of the oldest compositions and is used in many countries to express the collective feeling. Because it is a patriotic or religious chant and a way to express collective feelings, the hymn became more popular than the ode.

The Elegy: it expresses sad and melancholic feelings. The subjects of the elegy are pain, disillusion, the loss of a loved one, personal disgrace, etc.

The Sonnet: it is a metric combination comprised of two quartets and two threesomes of hendecasyllable consonant verses. The motif develops progressively until compressing in the last verse of the second threesome.

The Epithalamium: it means the celebration of marriages; in it the virtue and merits of husbands are praised and fervent wishes for their future happiness are made.

The Madrigal: these are short poems that gracefully and spontaneously express a fine gallantry. The subject might be love or the admiration caused by a woman’s beauty.

The Epigram: it expresses sharp, clever and cocky thoughts. It is brief.