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Lyre

Musical Instrument
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

An ancient stringed instrument, often depicted as a symbol of poetry and music, particularly lyric poetry

Detailed Definition
Lyre refers both to the ancient Greek stringed instrument associated with Apollo and poetic inspiration, and by extension to lyric poetry itself—the mode of personal, musical, and emotive verse that contrasts with narrative or dramatic forms; the lyre symbolizes the poet’s role as singer of inner experience, and its mythic resonance continues to inform conceptions of poetic voice and harmony.
Example
Example in poetry:
Lyre: "Sing, O lyre, of heroes long gone"; "The lyre’s strings hum with forgotten wars"; "Apollo’s gift—wood, gut, and grief"; "Broken lyre: no song for this age"
Additional Notes
Ancient Greek stringed instrument central to lyric poetry tradition. Symbol of poetic inspiration. Related: lyre lyric, bardic tradition. Understanding lyre's role helps contextualize "lyric" poetry etymology.
Also Known As
Greek harp Ancient stringed instrument Lyric instrument Poet's harp Kithara
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