The Lyric: An Essay

"The Lyric: An Essay" by John Drinkwater is an analysis of poetry, mainly the lyric kind, from the beginning of the 1900s. This essay discusses what poetry is, calling it a way to show strong feelings using carefully chosen language. Drinkwater shares his ideas on the qualities that make lyric poetry special, setting it apart from other types of poetry and showing how it affects people who read it. He believes that poetry's strength is in how it shares feelings clearly and accurately, famously saying poetry is "the best words in the best order." He looks at different styles of poetry, talks about how important rhythm and structure are, and claims that all poetry has something in common. Drinkwater points out that real lyric poetry connects with common feelings, stressing that its attraction comes from its simple and direct sharing of human emotion. By looking at famous poems and poets, he creates a way to understand what makes good lyric poetry and reinforces that the lyric form captures the main idea of poetic expression.