Madrigal
A madrigal is a short lyric poem, usually light, graceful, and often about love, nature, or pastoral life. The term is also used for the related musical setting of such a poem. In literary history, madrigals were especially popular in Renaissance and Elizabethan writing, where they were valued for their elegance, wit, and song-like quality.
Example
When April wakes the orchard tree,
Your laughter comes like melody;
The evening wind bends soft and low,
As if it learned your name and so
Took up the tune the blossoms know.
Related Definitions
[n] an unaccompanied partsong for 2 or 3 voices; follows a strict poetic form
[v] sing madrigals; "The group was madrigaling beautifully"
Related Terms
alba, anacreontic, balada, ballad, ballade, bucolic, canso, cantata, chanson, choral singing, chorus, clerihew, dirge, dithyramb, eclogue, elegy, English sonnet, epic, epigram, epithalamium, epode, epopee, epopoeia, epos, georgic, ghazel, glee, haiku, Hor