  We study the net dielectron production rates from an ensemble of thermal
mesons, using an effective Lagrangian to model their interaction. The coupling
between the electromagnetic and the hadronic sectors is done through the vector
meson dominance approach. For the first time, a complete set of light mesons is
considered. We include contributions from decays of the type
V~(PS)~$\rightarrow$~PS~(V)~+~$e^+~e^-$, where V is a vector meson and PS is a
pseudoscalar, as well as those from binary reactions PS~+~PS, V~+~V, and
V~+~PS~$\rightarrow~e^+e^-$. Direct decays of the type V~$\rightarrow~e^+ e^-$
are included and shown to be important. We find that the dielectron invariant
mass spectrum naturally divides in distinct regions: in the low mass domain the
decays from vector and pseudoscalar mesons form the dominant contribution. The
pion--pion annihilation and direct decays then pick up and form the leading
signal in an invariant mass region that includes the $\rho - \omega$ complex
and extends up to the $\phi$. Above invariant mass $M\ \approx$~1~GeV other
two-body reactions take over as the prominent mechanisms for lepton pair
generation. These facts will have quantitative bearing on the eventual
identification of the quark--gluon plasma.
