Lyric poems have a musical rhythm, and their topics often explore romantic feelings or other strong emotions. You can usually identify a lyric poem by its musicality: if you can imagine singing it, it's probably lyric. However with a limerick it's humorous and at times bawdy like this limerick: “Hickory dickory dock.
The mouse ran up the clock.
The clock struck one,
And down he run.
Hickory dickory dock.” - Edward Lear
and this is a sonnet: "My heart: beats, pines, waits:
For you" - Audrey Maick
in comparison to this song lyric: "Hey there, Delilah
What's it like in New York City?
I'm a thousand miles away
But girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do..." - Plain white t's. Lyric poetry is about love, a limerick is funny, and a sonnet formal rhyme schemes.