troubadour lyric as lyric poetry

Troubadour lyric is considered lyric poetry despite not being accompanied by a lyre. Although lacking this component of lyric poetry, troubadour lyric contains shares the same emotional characteristics present in lyric poetry. Lyric poetry is form of poetry that expresses personal emotions or feelings. Troubadour poetry, too, expresses personal emotions and feelings in their writing. Troubadour lyric focuses on courtly love and expressing their infatuation with a woman. They present their love as divine and the troubadour often submits themselves to their lover out of love. This act alone is an expression of their feelings. Despite lacking the lyre aspect in troubadour lyric, their poems are meant to be accompanied by music and have a musical rhythm to the structure of which the poem is written. Rudel writes,

            “No joy in love shall e’er be mine

            Until I see my love afar;

            Above all worth her beauties shine,

            Above all others, near and far.

                        Gladly I’d lie at her command,

                        A captive in a Moorish land

                        Her precious bidding to fulfill” (Kehew 65)

Rudel is clearly expressing his love for her by praising her to the highest standards. He praises her beauty and puts her beauty above everyone else’s. He is so madly in love with her that he would do anything for her and would “glady lie at her command”. In this way, troubadour lyric is considered lyric poetry. They both express personal emotions and feelings. The only difference is one is accompanied by music and the other is not.