lirici

Lirici is a term used in Italian and related Romance languages to denote lyric poetry or writers who compose it. In Italian, lirìco is the adjective meaning “lyrical,” and lirici is the masculine plural form; as a noun, i lirici can refer to “the lyric poets.” The word derives from Latin lyrīcus, itself from Greek lȳrikós, connected to the lyre, the instrument traditionally associated with early lyric performance.

Lyric poetry is characterized by the expression of personal feelings, impressions, and emotional states, often in the first person, and typically emphasizes musical language over narrative action. Historically, the lyric tradition originated in ancient Greece and spread across Europe, influencing many later forms such as odes, sonnets, and elegies, and forming a core of Romantic and modern lyric poetry. In contemporary usage, lirici can describe both the poems themselves and the poets who write them. The term is most common in Italian contexts, but cognate forms appear in other Romance languages with related meanings, reflecting a shared linguistic heritage of describing personal, emotionally expressive verse.