mel ic ' ▁is ▁a ▁musical ▁definition , ▁' e leg y ' ▁is ▁a ▁met rical ▁definition , ▁whereas ▁' i amb us ' ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁genre ▁and ▁its ▁characteristics ▁subject ▁matter . ▁( ...) ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁these ▁categories ▁are ▁artificial ▁and ▁potentially ▁mis leading ▁should ▁prompt ▁us ▁to ▁approach ▁Greek ▁ly ric ▁poetry ▁with ▁an ▁open ▁mind , ▁without ▁pre con ception s ▁about ▁what ▁' type ' ▁of ▁poetry ▁we ▁are ▁reading ." ▁ ▁Greek ▁ly ric ▁po ems ▁celebr ate ▁athlet ic ▁vict ories ▁( ep in ik ia ), ▁comm emor ate ▁the ▁dead , ▁ex h ort ▁soldiers ▁to ▁valor , ▁and ▁offer ▁religious ▁dev otion ▁in ▁the ▁forms ▁of ▁h ym ns , ▁pa e ans , ▁and ▁d ith yr amb s . ▁Par th ene ia , ▁" ma iden - song s ," ▁were ▁s ung ▁by ▁ch or uses ▁of ▁ma id ens ▁at ▁festiv als . ▁Love ▁po ems ▁pra ise ▁the ▁bel oved , ▁express ▁un ful filled ▁desire , ▁prof fer ▁s edu ctions , ▁or ▁bl ame ▁the ▁former ▁lo ver ▁for ▁a ▁break up . ▁In ▁this ▁last ▁m ood , ▁love ▁poetry ▁might ▁bl ur ▁into ▁inve ct ive , ▁a ▁po etic ▁attack ▁aim ed ▁at ▁ins ult ing ▁or ▁sh aming ▁a ▁personal ▁enemy , ▁an ▁art ▁at ▁which ▁Arch il och us , ▁the ▁earliest ▁known ▁Greek ▁ly ric ▁poet , ▁excel led . ▁The ▁them es ▁of ▁Greek ▁ly ric