* Music: Songs, by definition, have music. They are crafted to be sung or played with musical instruments. Lyric poetry, however, doesn't inherently involve music. While some poets might write with musicality in mind, it's not a defining characteristic.
* Structure: Songs often have a specific structure with verses, choruses, and bridges. While lyric poetry can have structure (like sonnets or villanelles), it's not bound by a specific musical form.
* Purpose: Songs are typically written to be performed and shared, often with the intention of conveying a particular emotion or telling a story. While lyric poetry can be read aloud, its purpose is more focused on the individual experience of language, imagery, and thought.
However, lyric poetry does share some qualities with song:
* Emotional Expression: Both lyric poetry and song are often used to express strong emotions like love, joy, sorrow, or anger.
* Musicality: While lyric poetry doesn't have actual music, it often uses language that evokes musicality. This might involve using rhyme, meter, or imagery that evokes sound.
* Focus on the Individual Voice: Both lyric poetry and song often focus on the voice and experience of the individual speaker.
Ultimately, the connection between lyric poetry and song is more about shared qualities of emotion, voice, and even a sense of musicality in the language, rather than a direct equivalence. Think of lyric poetry as a cousin to song, not a sibling. They share some family traits, but have their own unique identities.