lyrical poetry - OUDL Home

INTRODUCTORYnot choral and accompanied by dance, was writtento be sung: it presupposed a musical accompaniment."A Greek poet, it has been said, did not sit down tocompose an Ode to a Skylark or to a Cloud. Hewrote, if he were to serve the Gods, a Hymn, a Dithyramb,a Hyporchem, or the like; or if for men, anEpinicion, a Threnos, a Wedding-song, or again hegave utterance to his emotions on love, or politics, oron wine in a Scolion; and in each case he knew thata certain conformity to customary treatment was expectedof him." The development of lyrical poetryand the music which accompanied it went hand inhand; and this was as true of the monodic, personallyric of the Lesbian school as of the more elaboratechoric poetry of the Dorian school. Sappho wasmusician as well as poet, instructing her disciples in"the arts of music and rhythm as employed by poetry. 5 'Greek lyrics "were written expressly for song, and thepoet in most cases simultaneously created the accompanyingmelody. Thus the rhythm of the wordsindicates exactly that of the music, and as the metreis simple or involved, regular and stately or abruptand impetuous, such must have been the characterof the melody" (Farnell: Greek Lyric Poetry, 1891).The mediaeval lyric of Western Europe, springingfrom a root as popular as the Greek, had the sameclose dependence on music and dance. What remainsof the popular song, which more courtly elaborationsin Provence and countries which learned from Provenceto a great extent obscured and superseded, breathesthe very spirit of music, as, for example, the beautifulPortuguese cantigas de amigo. But the more elaboratecourtly songs themselves were written doubtless fora more elaborate music; and the idea that a song was11