Ancient Greek Lyric Poetry: Origins, Themes, and Forms
Origin and Meaning
Poetry played to the sound of the lyre, from which it is named, also born in Greece, particularly in Asia Minor, the most advanced of the Greek world, and in the archaic period (seventh century BC), when development of the polis, to which has been closely the emergence of this new literary genre:
- In the polis, the economy is not based only on agriculture but there are other sources of wealth: Industry and commerce
- There are new classes that require more intervention in the affairs of the city.
- The other ideal society seeks to replace the exaltation of the heroic spirit of the epic.
In these circumstances was an exaltation of individualism of man which leads him to sing of love, friendship, the penalties, the brevity of life… We find, therefore, a more intimate nature poetry, composed by specific authors. Originally there were popular songs, related to the worship of the gods, sung in the important moments of life: birth, marriage, death, work… These popular songs, poems that were sung to the accompaniment of a lyre, given the influence of epic poetry and literature were becoming dignity and regularizing its metric.
Themes and Division
The topics for this type of poetry are located, so, in the orbit of the intimate and personal. Inside, one can distinguish the subgenres:
- Monodic lyric, performed by a soloist (Sappho, Alcaeus).
- Choral lyric (Pindar), performed by a choir.
This classification is often added:
- Lyrical iambic (Archilochus).
- Elegiac poetry (Mimnermus, Solon, Theognis).
- Hellenistic lyric (Callimachus and Theocritus)
Monodic Poetry
Laque retain was composed by two authors of the island of Lesbos, in Eolia: Sappho and Alcaeus.
This is a very refined poetry
- Sappho (VII century BC). The poet dedicated to love poetry, love always expressed with simplicity, tenderness and passion. There are personal and intimate poems and poems to order, the nuptial songs (wedding songs). Many of the poems are dedicated to women. It seems that Sappho ran a circle of young girls who started in music, poetry and the cult of Aphrodite.
Lesbian wrote in dialect, used with great simplicity and perfection. His poems are written in the so-called Sapphic stanza. Sappho was imitated by Latin poets: Catullus. His love poetry has been judged because of boundless time.
Alcaeus (seventh century BC), also of Lesbos, in his poetry could really keen interest in politics, it belonged to the local aristocracy and confronted tyranny. He was exiled twice. But it was also interested in the poetry of Facilities, fighting, death and love.
The Choral Lyric
It was recited by a chorus in the celebrations of the community or in collective events.
- Pindar of Thebes (ss. VI-V BC), is the highest representative. Preserving poems in which he praises the winners of sports games that were held in various cities of Greece. These songs, called epinicion have been classified into four series:
- “Olympic Ode” in honor of the victors at Olympia.
- Pythian Odes” in honor of the victors in Delphi.
- Ítsmicas-Odes, in honor of the victors in Corinth.
- Nemeas-Odes, celebrating the winners of Nemea, Peloponnese city.
The structure of epinicion used to be tripartite
- Information relating to the victor in games
- Recreation-related mythical homeland of the winner
- Conclusion of the poet moralistic comments. The epinicion were sung to the accompaniment of flutes and lyre by a choir.
The language of Pindar dialect mixing different elements in a style difficult with many elements nominal verbs are mere words of support.
The Lyrical Iambic
The iamb had a popular theme of mocking, scathing or critical. Therefore, the rate metric used was close to the spoken language. · Trochee iamb · · Archilochus of Paros (seventh century BCE) is the highest representative of this genre. We know he was the bastard son of a noble of the island of Paros, who earned a living as a mercenary soldier, he composed poems in which mocks the heroic spirit of earlier times. Rate the “here” and “now” also exposes her most personal feelings, his loves and hates. Use a language with Homeric influence, but without forcing the line.
- Semonides expresses in his poetry an absolute pessimism. Issues appear as the impotence of man, the vanity of human hope, the conviction of the pain that surrounds us. His most extensive work is preserved Yambo women.