Make Your Point > Archived Issues > LYRICISM

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connect today's word to others: Here's Meara Sharma for the Washington Post, praising a new book about words by Robert MacFarlane, whom she says is engaged in what has become known as "re-enchantment," an effort to rekindle a sense of wonder about nature. This is an easy target for criticism. What good is lyricism in a time of crisis? Why does it matter if we know the word "fizmer" (a "rustling noise produced in grass by petty agitations of the wind"), let alone "dandelion" or "raven"? If you thought that lyricism is just about song lyrics, you're probably scratching your head right now. Sharma's question--"What good is lyricism in a time of crisis?"--makes it clear that lyricism means "exaggerated poetic enthusiasm." We'll explore that meaning in this issue. But lyricism can also be a beautiful poetic or musical quality, as in "he writes with lyricism" and "she sings with lyricism." Let's recall some other beautiful terms with musical roots: 1. A l__t is a light, musical rhythm, and to l__t is to say something in a light, rhythmic way. 2. A k____te is the first note of a musical scale, which sets the tone for the scale. And figuratively, it's an important idea that sets the tone for everything else. 3. A gr___ n___ (two words) is a musical note that adds decoration to the main melody or harmony and makes it sound more beautiful. Figuratively, it's anything that provides an extra little decoration or finishing touch to something else. (To reveal any word with blanks, give it a click.) make your point with... "LYRICISM" You might see this word and think of popular song lyrics. Instead, try to think of lyric poetry, like "When You Are Old" by William Butler Yeats. In lyric poetry, the poets talk about their personal thoughts and feelings. These poems have a rhythmic, musical quality, as if they were meant to be sung while you play the lyre (a string instrument). Lyricism, then is a lovely rhythmic, poetic, or musical quality. And, because whatever is lyrical often seems to be overly poetic, lyricism also came to mean exaggerated poetic enthusiasm, usually in someone's speech or writing. Pronunciation: LEER ih sizz um Part of speech: Uncountable noun. (Like "milk," "rice," and "advice," uncountable nouns are words for stuff that can’t be broken into exact units. You talk about "some milk," "the rice," and "a lot of advice," but you don’t say "a milk," "three rices," or "many advices." Likewise, talk about "the lyricism," "this lyricism," "his lyricism," "such lyricism," "no lyricism," and so on, but we don't often say "a lyricism" or "lyricisms.") Other forms: For the adjective, use "lyric" or "lyrical." How to use it: Talk about someone's lyricism, or the lyricism of a person, a speech, a book, a poem, a song, an album, a performance, someone's musical style, etc. You could say that something's lyricism fills, enhances, or elevates something, or say that something's lyricism impresses, enchants, overwhelms, or annoys people. You might also say that people do something with lyricism. Or say that people are creating, conveying, or delivering lyricism; that people have a penchant for lyricism; that people are slipping into lyricism, buying into or being manipulated by someone's lyricism, and so on. examples: Read "The Dead" too fast, and you'll miss the lyricism that fills Joyce's prose. His speeches were always vague, just patriotic lyricism, but at least they made sense. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "lyricism" means when you can explain it without saying "rhapsody" or "dramatic gusto." try it out: Fill in the blanks: "(Something beloved) moves (someone) to lyricism." Example: "An expertly prepared pile of barbecued pork moves him to lyricism." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Our game this month is called "Quirky Keepers."  We’ll play with a bunch of bizarre, oddly specific words—words that deserve a place in our vocabulary, even though they're too wacky and rare to explore in full issues of Make Your Point. (I found most of these words in Charles Harrington Elster’s outrageously entertaining book, There’s A Word For It: A Grandiloquent Guide to Life.) Our goal as we play is to squirrel the words away in our memories. So, in each issue, we’ll check out a word; in the following issue, I’ll give you a new example of that word, and you see if you can recall it. We’ll start with short words and work our way up to the six-, seven-, and eight-syllable doozies. See if you can recall the word from the previous issue: Ken is a voracious reader of nonfiction. Several times a day, his curiosity makes him Google all kinds of things. And just for the fun of it, he's taking classes in sign language and ancient history. What's the word for people like him? (It's three syllables.) See the answer by scrolling all the way down. Today, let’s check out the word "hirrient." Something hirrient has a strong trilling sound, as if it's quickly shaking or vibrating. (It's from the Latin word for "to snarl.") Remember, in the next issue I’ll give you an example of something hirrient, without mentioning the word—and you’ll try to recall it. That'll help you keep it in your memory. review today's word: 1. A close opposite of LYRICISM is A. HONESTY. B. IGNORANCE. C. PLAINSPOKENNESS. 2. We train teachers to mark up students' papers with positive comments, keeping them _____. It's not the time to wax lyrical. A. focused on style B. brief and specific C. detailed and lavish Answers are below. a final word: Make Your Point is crafted with love and brought to you each weekday morning by Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From Liesl's blog:    36 ways to study words.    Why we forget words, & how to remember them.    How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. To be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes. Answer to the game question: He's a philomath. Answers to review questions: 1. C 2. B