Impromptu describes a poem composed or delivered on the spur of the moment, with little or no time for planning. The term suggests spontaneous invention, often in response to a person, event, or occasion. Such poems may feel casual or immediate, though they can still be carefully shaped afterward.
Example
I caught the rain on my sleeve and laughed,
so I sent you this quick, wet salute:
a sky gone silver, a street gone bright,
and my thanks, still warm, at your door.
Related Definitions
[n] an extemporaneous speech or remark; "a witty impromptu must not sound premeditated"
[n] a short musical passage that seems to have been made spontaneously without advance preparation
[adv] without advance preparation; "he spoke ad lib"
[adj] in response to an unforeseen need; "an impromptu speech"; "a spur-of-the-moment party"
Related Terms
ad lib, ad libitum, ad-lib, ad-libbing, arrangement, at short notice, at sight, by ear, cadenza, caught napping, caught off balance, caught short, extemporaneous, extemporaneously, extemporaneousness, extemporarily, extemporariness, extemporary, extempore