LYRIC, in general, signifies something sung or played on the lyre ; but it is more particularly applied to the ancient odes and stanzas, answering to our airs and songs, and may be played on instruments. This species of poetry was originally em ployed in celebrating the praises of gods and heroes, though it was afterwards in troduced into feasts and public diversions. Mr. Barnes shows how unjust it is to ex clude heroic subjects from this kind of verse, which is capable of all the eleva tion such matters require. The charac teristic of this kind of poetry is, accord ing to Trap, the sweetness and variety of the verse, the delicacy of the words and thoughts, the agreeableness of the numbers, and the description of things most pleasing in their own natures. At first the lyric verse was only of one kind, but afterwards they so continued to vary the feet and numbers, that the variety of them now are almost innumerable.
This kind of poem is distinguished from all other odes, by the happy transi tions and digressions which it beautifully admits, and the surprising and natural easy returns to the subject, which is not to be obtained without great judgment and genius.
The lyric is, of all kinds of poetry, the most poetical, and is as distinct, both in style and thought, from the rest, as poe try is in general from prose : it is the boldest of all other kinds, full of rapture, and elevated from common language the most that is possible : some odes there are likewise, in the free and loose manner, which seem to avoid all method, and yet are conducted by a very clear one, which affects transitions seemingly without art, but for that reason have the more of it ; which are above connection, and delight in exclamations and frequent invocations of the muses, which begin and cnd abruptly, and are carried on through a variety of matter with a sort of divine pathos, above rules and laws, and without regard to the common forms of grammar. Pindar has set his successors the example of digressions and excursions. To write a lyric poem are required, not only a flowing imagination, brightness, life, sub limity, and elegance, but the nicest art and finest judgment, so as to seem luxu riant, and not be so ; and under the show of transgressing all laws, to preserve them.