The OED defines lyric as "Of or pertaining to the lyre, meant to be sung." It also quotes Ruskins maxim: "Lyric poetry is the expression by the poet of his own feelings"
Compare, with reference to these diverse senses of lyric,
Sir Walter Raleighs 'As You Came from the Holy Land'
with 1 or 2 out of:
'Love is a Losing Game' – Amy Winehouse & Mark Ronson
'Fine & Mellow' – Billie Holiday
'Boots of Spanish Leather' – Bob Dylan
Copies of all 4 lyrics were provided for the examinees
This strikes me as a brilliant question – unexpected but patently fair. One which would really sort out the A*s from the As
And if it is the behaviour of Ms Winehouse which prompted the outcry, it is as well to remember that Raleigh himself was a celebrity showboat (putting his cloak over a puddle in front of the Queen) & turned England into a nation of drug addicts (nicotine)
Related posts: A Church Romance
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