A short, simple French lyrical poem or song, often with pastoral themes, popular in medieval and Renaissance literature.
From French 'bergère' (shepherdess) with the diminutive suffix '-ette,' creating a form that means 'little shepherdess poem' or 'shepherdess song.'
The bergerette was a poetic form that let French poets write simple, charming poems without the rigid structure of formal verse—it was the casual Instagram caption of the Renaissance! Hundreds of them were written but most are now forgotten.
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