The term 'lyric' has evolved, been revised, redefined and contested over the centuries. In this fascinating introduction, Scott Brewster: traces the history of the term from its classical origins through the early modern, Romantic and Victorian periods and up to the twenty-first century demonstrates the influence of lyric on poetic practice, literature, music and other popular cultural forms uses three aspects -- the lyric 'self', love and desire and the relationship between lyric, poetry and performance -- as focal points for further discussion not only charts the history of lyric theory and practice but re-examines assumptions about the lyric form in the context of recent theoretical accounts of poetic discourse. Offering clarity and structure to this often intense and emotive field, Lyric offers essential insights for students of literature, performance, music and cultural studies.