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Dramatic lyric

Genre
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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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 poem spoken by a character in heightened emotional state

Detailed Definition
Dramatic lyric is a short poetic form that blends lyrical intensity with dramatic situation, often voiced by a specific persona in a moment of crisis or reflection; unlike pure lyric, it implies an audience or implied interlocutor, bridging soliloquy and song.
Example
Example in poetry:
In John Keats’ “Ode to a Nightingale,” personal grief merges with mythic escape in dramatic lyric; In Sylvia Plath’s “Daddy,” confessional rage becomes dramatic lyric through historical metaphor; In W.B. Yeats’ “The Second Coming,” apocalyptic vision forms dramatic lyric of cultural collapse; In Gwendolyn Brooks’ “The Mother,” abortion grief becomes dramatic lyric of maternal love; In Ocean Vuong’s “Telemachus,” myth and memory form dramatic lyric of filial loss.
Additional Notes
Poetry combining dramatic dialogue or monologue with lyrical intensity, as in Browning's dramatic monologues. Differs from pure lyric by featuring distinct speakers or theatrical elements. Related to persona poetry and mask lyrics.
Also Known As
lyric drama character lyric
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