Writing a Lyric Poem

Several things may help you to write an effective lyric poem. Consider the following:

Lyric poems do something. While a poet may not be entirely sure where his or her lyric is headed when beginning, a lyric manages to express emotion, capture an experience or even imagine "what if." Some lyrics may do any combination of the above.

Lyrics may be free verse poems. The key word here is 'may.' There is something to be said for letting the mood and sense of what is being described determine the length of lines and whether or when rhyme is introduced. It is possible to write a lyric using a set form or one that defies form entirely.

Lyrics, like most poems, should sound good when read aloud. Pay close attention to the language you use. Is it too prosy? (i.e. does it sound too much like the language you might use in letters or essays?). Is it possible to eliminate some dull words or introduce more exciting ones? Even free verse poems have rhythm--does your poem speed up and slow down in appropriate places? If your poem doesn't rhyme much overall, one or two rhymes may be quite effective. What other sound effects can you employ, such as alliteration or assonance?

A Couple of Examples:

"Aunt Jennifer's Tigers" by Adrienne Rich

Aunt Jennifer's tigers prance across a screen,
Bright topaz denizens of a world of green.
They do not fear the men beneath the tree;
They pace in sleek chivalric certainty.

Aunt Jennifer's finger fluttering through her wool
Find even the ivory needle hard to pull.
The massive weight of Uncle's wedding band
Sits heavily upon Aunt Jennifer's hand.

When Aunt is dead, her terrified hands will lie
Still ringed with ordeals she was mastered by.
The tigers in the panel that she made
Will go on prancing, proud and unafraid.


"The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot