ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE English Studies => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Literature => Topic started by: Aaddiittyyaa on March 25, 2018, 03:24:58 pm
-
Hey everyone!
Throughout the year I have heard many people say that it is beneficial to write in a "lyrical manner" in your Literature essays. I was just wondering what "writing lyrically" actually meant? If it's something that'll improve my writing, I want to get on the bandwagon!
Thanks, and enjoy your weekends!
-
Hey everyone!
Throughout the year I have heard many people say that it is beneficial to write in a "lyrical manner" in your Literature essays. I was just wondering what "writing lyrically" actually meant? If it's something that'll improve my writing, I want to get on the bandwagon!
Thanks, and enjoy your weekends!
Hey Aaddiittyyaa!
Writing lyrically (lyrical prose) is just a way of saying "write with eloquent rhythm", like you're speaking but you're writing out your speech. You know how, in the English language, there are pauses and rises and falls in the pattern of speech? Lyrical writing is just using this kind of method (with commas for pauses and words that just seem to meld into each other) in writing. Words and written language that is done well, and can make you feel emotion.
So basically it's just writing really well. :)
Hope this helps! It's a good bandwagon to get on. ^-^
-
Aim for clear and succinct expression - no legit teacher or examiner will discount the merit of an essay with clearly-explained, thorough analysis just because it doesn't sound nice. "Lyrical" writing is just a cherry-on-top for most markers as it takes skill and years of practice to execute successfully.
If you're going to try and do it though, don't forget that there's a fine line between beautiful, flow-y prose, and purple prose that is both cringey and tedious to read.
-
Thanks a lot everyone! That really clears it up for me!
-
It's hard to explain in literal terms, but as with writing lyrics, there is a general similarity in vowel and consonant exaggeration, amount of syllables in each line, leaving enough to be interpreted by the reader and most importantly flowing between each idea and phrase constantly.
As suggested by secretly_a_poet, imagine it as speaking aloud. You don't want to sound overly verbose, describing every minutiae, but you don't want to be too cryptic, jagged and too succinct either. When delivering a great speech, each idea makes sense and leads on from each other whilst also keeping rhythm in how it's expressed.