What's the Difference Between Poems and Lyrics?

Have you ever thought about what the difference was between a lyrical song and a poem? Maybe you thought they were the same thing, maybe you thought that they were distinctly different. Here I am going to analyze the some of the similarities and differences between the two based on the writing styles through a song writen by Sting called "Fields of Gold." You can find the lyrics below:

"Fields Of Gold"
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we walk in the fields of gold

So she took her love
For to gaze awhile
Upon the fields of barley
In his arms she fell as her hair came down
Among the fields of gold

Will you stay with me, will you be my love
Among the fields of barley
We'll forget the sun in his jealous sky
As we lie in the fields of gold

See the west wind move like a lover so
Upon the fields of barley
Feel her body rise when you kiss her mouth
Among the fields of gold
I never made promises lightly
And there have been some that I've broken
But I swear in the days still left
We'll walk in the fields of gold
We'll walk in the fields of gold

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You'll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold
When we walked in the fields of gold

Similarities Between Lyrics and Poems
I believe that first in order to understand the differences between these two writing styles you must first understand the similarities. In general, the same virtues that make a good poem such as effective imagery, compelling themes, originality, and emotional appeal also make for good song lyrics. They both require a skilled use of language in which the writer elaborates on different rhyme patterns or word sounds which break up the stanzas giving the reader or listener a sense of rhythm, impact, and understanding. Many of these writings also engage the reader/listener on an emotional level relating to them as a whole or in a particular situation that might have happened in their life. Some examples of how they do this are the use of several different writing styles including metaphors, similes, alliterations, hyperboles, personifications, onomatopoeias.

An example of this in the song is "We'll walk in the fields of gold." It is repeated several times throughout this song in which it is an example of a roundelay (a poem or song with a regularly recurring refrain). There is also a play on words through the way that the author uses the stanzas and lines to keep you flowing through the piece. This lyric also engaged you emotionally elaborating on his life through childhood, to meeting a women and having kids, to death.


Differences Between Lyrics and Poems
Despite having several similarities however, these two are not the same thing. A poem is designed to be read on the page either aloud or in silence with your own voice speaking the words that are writen on the page. In a lyric, it is designed to be sung by the human voice and heard with music in which someone else is singing (reading) the words to you and you are listening. Yes I understand that you might say "but I sing with my own voice therefore I am speaking the words on the page" however, they are still being sung to you even though you are "singing along." This gives you a much different perspective between the two. For example, when you are listening to a song, you do not have the luxury of going back and re-reading it, you can not stop to dwell on every line.

Examples: (Short and Sweet)

* Poetry can be of almost any length and lyrics must be concise.
* A poem can be read silently, however, a lyric must be sung.
* A poem stands alone without music and a lyric must work well with the rhythm and structure of music.
* A poem can be dense in ideas and structurally complex, it is designed to connect with a reader.

After listening to this song grab a sheet of paper and answer these following questions. This will better help you understand and create a road map as to what the differences are. You can keep this as a reference for these two types of writing styles:
1.) After listening to this song how did it impact you emotionally? What do you think the authors tone was? How did the music set a tone, or change what you origionally felt if he had just sung it alone?
2.) Does it all seem to flow together as one cohesive piece? What to you makes writing flow?
3.) Does the author emphasize any part more than others? (Use examples from the song) How does that impact the overall song and its interpretation. What techniques do you use in your writing to emphasize something/make it stand out more?

Now read aloud this lyric to yourself and answer these following questions:
1.) Did it have the same impact on you after reading it as opposed to listening to it? Was something missing, or did it still feel as a flowing cohesive piece?
2.) Was the tone different to you in any way since you were in control as the reader verses the listener? How can this impact the way you write in knowing these changes?
3.) Is there anything else that you took away from this piece considering the two very different circumstances it was placed in? Why? How will that impact your own writing?

Tone
The tone of this song is one in which he feels joy towards the love in his life, his children, and his natural surroundings and just being one on this earth. This is portrayed through the first four stanzas. Then in the last stanza, he elaborates on this feeling a little more stating "See the children run as the sun goes down, among the fields of gold " but he knows that the joy is going to end one day and is content with that in stating "many years have passed since those summer days, among the fields of barley " and "you'll remember me when the west wind moves, upon the fields of barley."