ENGL 102
L
ECTURE
N
OTES
: L
ESSON
13
Lyrical Poetry: First Principles
I. Definition
Lyrical poetry is a mode of writing distinct from all others in the intensity of the
emotional response which it generates; it expresses the poet’s emotion or thought.
II. Lyrical poetry is holistic.
A. Lyrical poetry evokes emotion.
B. Lyrical poetry demands intellectual understanding.
C. Lyrical poetry exercises the imagination.
III. You cannot ask the same questions of lyrical poetry as of an essay.
A. Psalm 40:1–3: Christ is the “rock.”
B. Romans 4:23–5:2: Christ justifies the believer.
C. Philippians 4:8: Paul gives an admonition to excellence.
IV. The reader of lyrical poetry must establish an orderly system of interpretation.
A. Words retain their grammatical, literal sense unless there is a clear reason to
interpret them otherwise.
B. Sentences retain their literal meaning as well.
C. Context is significant in the understanding of works.
a. A valid interpretation accounts for most (or all) of the details of a poem.
b. The whole impression of a poem influences the interpretation of each detail.
V. Meaning versus significance
A. Meaning is the author’s intention.
B. Significance is the importance to the reader of a poem or a part of a poem.
C. “Nothing Gold Can Stay”: paraphrase and theme
VI. Truth versus validity
A. Truth is that which agrees with the Bible.
a. Correspondence test
ENGL 102
b. Coherence test
B. Validity is that quality of a statement which allows for its logical verification.
C. “There Is No Frigate Like a Book”
