Log-Rolling Where cliques of authors/poets favourably review each other's work

in order to boost sales. See puff.

Love Poetry Poetry which deals with the agony and ecstasy of love e.g.
Shakespeare's Sonnets. See also erotic poetry.

Lyre U-shaped, stringed instrument (similar to a harp)used in ancient
Greece to accompany recited/sung poetry. See 'lyric poetry' below.

Lyric Poetry Term originally derived from the Greek word meaning 'for the lyre' and
indicating verses that were written to be sung. However, more
recently the term 'lyric' has been used to refer to short poems, often
written in the 'I' form, where the poet expresses his or her feelings
e.g.The Lake Isle of Innisfree by W.B.Yeatsor London by William
Blake.

Lyrical Ballads Ground breaking poetry collaboration byColeridge and Wordsworth,
which first appeared in 1798. Subsequent extended versions
appeared in 1800, 1801 and 1802. Most of the poems in the collection
were written when the two poets lived in Somerset: Coleridge at
Nether Stowey and Wordsworth at Alfoxden.
Macaronic Verse Verse which jumbles together lines or phrases written in different
languages (Originally this would have included some Latin.) John
Skelton, the English renaissance poet, wrote a number of poems in
this style.

Macron In prosody, a macron is the mark placed over a syllable in a line of
verse to show that it is stressed. It is denoted by the following symbol
(). See also breve andmeter.

MacSpaunday Composite nick-name (devised by Roy Campbell) for Louis
MacNeice, Stephen Spender, W.H.Auden and C. Day-Lewis. See
also Pylon Poets.

Madrigal A short love poem which can easily be set to music.

Magnum Opus An artist or poet's 'great work' e.g. Milton's Paradise Lost.

Maker Archaic term for poet. In February 2004 Edwin Morgan was appointed
as 'the Scots Maker' - a position similar to that of the English poet
laureate.

Mansion of Many Apartments Theory devised by John Keats stating that people are capable of
different levels of thought. He suggested that some have the ability to
move through the 'thoughtless chamber' and the 'chamber of maiden
thought' to reach more profound states.

Martian Poetry Term used to describe the work of poets such as Craig Raine and
Christopher Reid. It originated from Raine's 1979 collection A Martian
Sends a Postcard Home. Martian poetry frequently describes
everyday objects from unusual angles by using
inventive metaphor andsimile. For example, in Raine's poem A Walk
in the Country a sewage farm is described as being 'like a tape-
recorder, whose black spools turn night and day'.