Lyrics have been an important component of all literary pieces in Rajasthan. Almost in poems and prose there has been a touch of lyric. Rajasthan, the land of charming glory in fact is known for its rhythmic way of life amidst a rich history. As a result literature which emerged in the state was not spared from the touch of lyricism and especially the poems of Rajasthan have been specially endowed with the element of lyrics. In Rajasthan the tendency of using lyrics in poems has continued even in the modern age.

Stories in Verse
Celebration of heroes and heroism has been the tradition of Charan Poetry as also of the Rajasthani Folk Literature. This tradition continued in the modern times though in a lesser degree. Heroes, anecdotes of heroism, self-sacrifice, honour, human qualities, and love for freedom and high ideals were chosen us subjects by the poets to project and strengthen the national feelings.

Most of the poems are based on facts and there are a number of poems on a single theme were also composed on mythological and secular love stories and popular folk legends. Many of the poems of this category have depicted variety of emotions, internal conflicts of characters, quickness of action and touching incidents.

Humour and Satire in Rajasthani Poetry
The aim of humorous and satirical poems is delight, exposure of evils and anomalies, and reform. Humour and satire change with changing social conditions and ideas. With the increasing complexity and variety of life, the scope of such poetry has increased. Such poems have been written on individual, political, social, religious and cultural oddities. Viswanath `Vimales` is a pioneer in this field. His poems are on social and political themes, with pleasant teasing. In his characteristic style he also writes about the members of the caucus that ruled the country then.

This is also the style of Nagraj Sarma whose major poems deal with social and political themes. On the other hand Satyanarayan Aman hints directly at the political situation in his poem Cunthiya and makes the reader painfully restless.

Some of the poems belonging to the humorous group deal in minute detail with problems like helplessness, poverty and social evils which were prevalent among the lower middle class people in a subtle manner.

Pragatisil or Progressive Rajasthani Poetry
Rajasthani poets have been alert and ahead of time about the changing political and social conditions. After the Independence, the poets felt the hard realities in political, social and economic spheres. They began to expose the mad race, corruption, injustice, anomalies, disparities and exploitation prevalent in these fields. They gave voice to sorrows and sufferings of the common man, particularly the farmer. Their styles, of course, varied. A few poets took to humour and satire. Many others depicted the pitiable conditions in two ways: (1) by drawing attention to the realities and giving straightforward warnings, (2) by pleading steadfast adherence to the path of virtue in spite of difficulties.

In the first type of poetry, glimpses of pleasures and pains of rural life have been portrayed. Ganesilal Vyas `Ustad`, a powerful poet, is a pioneer in this field. Straightforwardness, clarity of thoughts, and unsophisticated language are the characteristics of his poems.

Almost all the poets writing patriotic poems have also tried their hand at pragatisil poetry. In the second type of poems, the emphasis is on the value of human virtues. These poems form a class by themselves in lyrical poetry.

Love for the Land in Rajasthani Poetry
Many modern poets have sung praises of Rajasthan with deep love and reverence. Such poems portray the characteristics of the people, nature, historical places, heroes and the glory of Rajasthan. Some poems caught the popular imagination so widely as to have assumed the status of folk songs.

Patriotism in Rajasthani Poetry
The bravery and sacrifice of Rajput soldiers have naturally inspired poets to sing their praises. Wars against China and Pakistan have brought forth poetic celebration of bravery and patriotism. Such poems are both in the traditional form and in the modern style. Because of their patriotic tone and profusion of numbers, they appear quite distinct from the other Rajasthani poems. Almost every poet contributed to the prevailing national feeling. Their diction is forceful and style individualistic. Such poems mostly depict the feelings of self-sacrifice, dedication, glory, enthusiasm, challenge and even reproach.

Odes and Elegies in Rajasthani Poetry
Marsiyas were written in abundance in old Rajasthani poetry and the` tradition is still not extinct. The elegy and marsiya, though apparently similar, could be differentiated on the basis of a strong personal note. While the sentiment of grief in marsiya is more personal, such sentiment in elegy is more universal. Elegies written on the death of Mahatma Gandhi are notable. Apart from these elegies, many eulogizing poems, forming a class by themselves, have been composed on Mahatma Gandhi.

In odes some object or being has been addressed and human feelings have been imposed on it.

Love and Eroticism in Rajasthani Poetry
In style, diction, imagery, similes and tunes, poems on love and eroticism are much influenced by Folk Songs of Rajasthan. Naturally their appeal is wider and effective. Such poems are mainly of two types: (1) Those which depict family and village life, and (2) Those which express human emotions, joys and sorrows. On the whole, the environment of both these types of poetry is mostly rural and belongs to the past. Many poems, including the Olun poems, cover both these aspects.

Nai Kavita in Rajasthani Poetry
It appears that the nunin (nayi) kavita of Rajasthani is inspired and influenced by the Nai Kavita of Hindi and modern British and American poetry. The motivating force behind this poetry is the rapid change in human values and aesthetics. This is due to a change in the environment and ways of urban life, breakdown of old patterns of relationships, the individualistic tendencies, complexities of life, struggle for existence, frustration and growing estrangement and isolation in social relations. The poet of Nai Kavita feels that life is insignificant and meaningless, and that complexities, sufferings, longings and restlessness are the lot of man. To him urban social life appears to be divided into moments, devoid of contact. Such thoughts and the consequent pain have been expressed in Nai Kavita. This poetry does not always represent either a well considered view of life or intimate emotion but is mostly an intellectual reaction to life`s problems. The tendency is personal, individualistic and often leads to pessimism. Naturally its outlook and frame of reference are limited.

The Nai Kavita of Rajasthani describes in detail the silent changes in the village life in particular and changes in individual life in general. In imations of such changes are available in the poems of `Mukul`, Kanhaiyalal Sethiya, Satyaprakas Josi" and others, but the tendency gained force in the mid-seventies, mostly in the poems of the younger generation.

Thus it can be said that lyrical poetry of modern era in Rajasthan tried to reflect the various social conditions with the appropriate use of lyrics in the poems.