Home › Glossary › Letter A

Agon lyric

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

Want to hear it? Click the Listen button to hear the browser speak the word using text-to-speech!

The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A lyric genre structured as a poetic contest, debate, or argument between opposing voices, often derived from Greek dramatic traditions; it explores dialectical tension through alternating stanzas or responsive calls.

Detailed Definition
Agon lyric is a poem dramatizing a contest or conflict—intellectual, emotional, or spiritual—between opposing voices or forces; rooted in Greek “agon” (contest), it appears in dialogic poetry, dramatic monologues, or internal debates, heightening tension through rhetorical opposition.
Example
Example in poetry:
An agon lyric presents a poetic debate or contest; Theocritus’ Idyll 22 features a singing match between shepherds, a classic example of agon in pastoral poetry.
Additional Notes
Ancient Greek competitive song performed in religious festivals or contests. Agon means "contest." Related to dithyramb and paean. Study Pindar's victory odes as examples of competitive poetic forms.
Also Known As
Contest lyric Debate lyric Agonistic song
Skip to main content