More specifically 'lyric' refers to sung poetry, even more specifically, to poetry sung to the lyre. It is also used in modern English, as in 'lyrical', to refer to poetry suitable for singing to the lyre in tone or sensibility. Iambic rhythm can also be used for more serious poetry, even philosophy, and it designates the spoken parts of Attic drama. In later antiquity Hipponax and Archilochus are bywords for 'wicked' poetry, cf. Julian and Clement of Alexandria, Stromata 1.1 .
Abuse is found in other genres, however.
The name comes from elegos , a lament and in modern English elegiac refers to a mournful or, at least, nostalgic tone. They can be very brief poems or quite long, cf. The aulos is associated above all with action and tends to be addressed outwardly. Modern scholars tend to distinguish between Choral lyric and solos or monodies. Solos sung to lyre are typical of the poetry of Sappho, Alcaeus and Anacreon.