The lyrical subject is associated with the voice of the poet.
The idea of a lyrical subject refers to the being that expresses itself in a poem . It is a creation that coincides with the author and that can be associated with the narrator subject that appears in stories and novels.
It can be said that the lyrical subject, therefore, is the voice of the poet . The emotions and feelings of a poem are transmitted through this lyrical subject, which is also called the poetic self.
The lyrical subject as a transmitter
It can also be indicated that the lyrical subject is the sender of the text : that is, the person responsible for conveying the content to the receiver through the different statements. It is usual for the subject to appear in the first person through pronouns or certain verbal forms.
For example: “We laughed for hours / We dreamed, we loved each other / Everything changed suddenly / when we got tired” . In this example , the lyrical subject is “we” , although it is not explicit: “ (We) laughed for hours / (We) dreamed, (we) loved each other / Everything changed suddenly / when (we) got tired” .
Its characteristics
In addition to everything mentioned above about the figure of the lyrical subject, we can highlight other identifying features about it that can help us understand it much better. Specifically, among the most significant are the following:
-It is suggested that the lyrical subject becomes an alter ego of the author of the work in question.
-Its mission is none other than to make known to the reader what the ideas, feelings, fears, desires... of the narrator are.
The lyrical subject usually appears in the first person.
-As a general rule, this subject that concerns us can be made present thanks to the use of verbal forms that are in the first person or through the use of what are personal and possessive pronouns.
-Another aspect worth highlighting about this is that it is considered that it can be not only a person but also an object or even a feeling.
Examples of lyrical subject
If we focus on popular poems, we can also identify the lyrical subject clearly. The famous “Poem XX” or “Poem 20” by Pablo Neruda , which is part of the book entitled “Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair” , begins by saying “I can write the saddest verses…” . In this case, the lyrical subject can be associated with the Chilean poet himself. Although it is important to keep in mind that the lyrical subject is a construction that exists within the framework of the poetic work, and a direct correspondence cannot be established with the actual writer who creates the composition.
It is interesting to note the fact that there are various publications that address the figure of the lyrical subject in literature. This would be the case, for example, of the work “The lyrical subject in contemporary Spanish poetry and its baroque background”, which was written by Luis Martín Estudillo in 2005.
In it he addresses how, although with the passage of centuries there have been significant changes in the field of poetry, it is no less true that there are still authors who choose to make use of the lyrical subject. All this without overlooking the fact that he presents us with pens that resorted to the use of the same more or less frequently, such as, for example, José de Espronceda.