Kerschen is a public school administrator and freelance writer. In this essay, she discusses how the poem “Practice” fits into the tradition of lyric poetry and the poetic practices of Voigt.

Voigt is best known as a writer of lyric poetry, although she is also a teacher and critic of poetry. She has written numerous articles and essays on the subject of the structure of poetry in which she has strongly defended the value of lyric poetry. Voigt's poem “Practice,” published in her 2002 collection entitled Shadow of Heaven, is a good example of the classic elements of lyric poetry and her poetic works in general.

The most important characteristic of lyric poetry is its musical quality. In ancient Greek times, poets accompanied their works with music played on a lyre; thus the name lyric is applied to poetry that relies on the sound of words to create...