lyrikós

Lyrikós (Greek: λύρικός, translit. lyrikós) is an adjective meaning "lyrical" or "relating to the lyre." In ancient Greek literary theory, it designated poetry composed for and performed with the lyre, as opposed to epic or dramatic poetry. The body of poetry thus labeled is known in English as lyric poetry, or lyrikí in Greek.

Lyric poetry originated in early Ionian Greece and the Aegean islands, flourishing in the archaic period (roughly 7th–5th centuries BCE). The lyric voice is typically personal and emotive, often short in form and sung to a lyre or other portable instrument. Early poets commonly associated with lyric verse include Sappho, Alcaeus, Archilochus, and Tyrtaeus; later representatives include Pindar, Alcman, and Anacreon. The genre diversified into subforms such as monodic, choral, elegy, and ode, and played a central role in social and ceremonial contexts.

In classical criticism, lyric poetry was distinguished from epic poetry, which told grand narratives, and drama, which was performed on stage. The term's meaning evolved with linguistic history, but in modern scholarship it remains the umbrella for poetry characterized by personal expression, musicality, and often brief, lyric stanzas. The modern English adjective "lyrical" and the noun "lyrics" derive from this ancient term.

In contemporary Greek, lyrikós survives as λύρικός or λυρικός, with "λυρικός ποιητής" meaning lyric poet and "λυρική ποίηση" meaning lyric poetry.