A poem that describes the simple life of rural people is called ___

Step 1: Analyze the question The question asks for the type of poem that describes the simple life of rural people, such as shepherds, farmers, and country life.

Step 2: Explain the concepts

• Elegy: A poem of mourning or lamentation, usually for someone who has died. Example: "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard" by Thomas Gray.
• Ode: A lofty, formal poem that praises or celebrates a person, object, or idea. Example: Keats' "Ode to a Nightingale".
• Lyrics: A short poem expressing the personal feelings or emotions of a single speaker, often musical in quality.
• Pastoral: A poem about rural life, shepherds, nature, and the countryside, usually presenting country living as simple, peaceful, and idyllic. The word comes from the Latin pastor, meaning "shepherd".

Step 3: Match the definition

• Mourning the dead? That is an elegy, so A is out.
• Praising or celebrating a subject? That is an ode, so B is out.
• Personal emotion and feeling? That is lyric poetry, so C is out.
• Simple rural life? That is pastoral, which fits D.

Answer: D. Pastoral

Exam tip: Link pastoral with pastor or pasture, since both point to shepherds and fields. For the others, remember: Elegy = Early grave (mourning), Ode = Honour (praise), Lyric = Love and feelings (personal emotion).