Troubadour Lyric Poetry

            While the verses of the Troubadours are very distinct compared to the lyric poetry of the Greeks and the Romans, their works can still be classified as lyric poetry in their own right. The traditional definition of lyric poetry is poetry that is composed to be accompanied by the lyre; though the Troubadours did not write their verses with this intention, their close attention to rhythmic structure means that their works could potentially be set to music, regardless of whether or not they actually were. The themes, structures, and forms of the Troubadours’ poetry may vary across the genre, but there is a consistent focus on rhyming and metrical structures that give their work a strong lyrical element.

            In “A Love Afar” by Juafre Rudel, for instance, there is an evident rhyme structure that is consistent throughout the stanzas. The first stanza follows an ABABCCD pattern, and each of the following stanzas follows the same structure with only the sounds of the first and third lines and the fifth and sixth lines changing. Every second and fourth line in the stanzas ends with “far” or “afar”, and every last line ends with a word that rhymes with “ill”. This constant repetition of sounds creates a uniform melody within the poem, thus allowing it to be considered lyric poetry.

            Many of the rhyme schemes in the Troubadours’ poetry are not necessarily immediately apparent, as they often have intricate structures rather than a simple end-rhyme pattern. In “Splendid Are the Flowers Reversed” by Raimbaut d’Aurenga, for example, there is not a traditional rhyme structure, but instead the corresponding lines of each stanza end with the same word. The first line of each stanza, for example, ends with “reversed”, the second with “hills”, the next with “frost” and so forth. While not a traditional rhyme, this still creates a rhythmic unity that allows it to be considered lyric poetry. Overall, the Troubadours’ attentions to such structures are what allow their works to be classified as lyric poetry despite not falling under its classical definition.