The Metrical Tale
The metrical tale is a narrative poem in which a story is told as simply and realistically as possible. It may deal with any phase of life, and its theme may be either allegorical or literal. In many ways, the metrical tale may be compared to the modern short-story, especially in its brevity and its unity of impression. As we shall see, Chaucer, in his Canterbury Tales, was a master of the metrical tale.
Pros and Poetry of England, page 45
Pros and Poetry of England, page 45