The Cantar in verse is an octosyllabic quatrain that assonates and is usually limited to one strophe. The form dates back to 15th century Spain. Cantar is the Spanish verb "to sing" and in Spanish literature is loosely used as a noun for the "words for a song".

The Cantar is:

1. a 4 line strophe written as a stand alone poem or combined with other forms such as the Seguidilla or Flamenca.
2. syllabic, all lines written in 8 syllables.
3. rhymed, L2 and L4 rhyme with assonance, sometimes true rhyme but generally not. L1 and L3 are unrhymed however the end syllable should be stressed.
   
   Cantar
   
   The windward breeze sings high tenor
   while rolling waves play bottom bass
   along the ragged shore. The song
   of the ocean follows my day.

--- Judi Van Gorder

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The Cantiga is a predecessor of the Cantar, without any found prerequisite structure. The Galician-Portuguese verse was written between the 12th and 14th centuries, rhythm and musicality are central while the words are limited. The themes were focused on the individual, a woman singing to her lover, a man to his lady, and the best known cantigas were about the miracles of the Virgin Mary.

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Cantiga de Amigo is a subgenre of the Cantiga, it is the female voice speaking of a lover. The voice could be the woman, her mother, her sister, or her friend, the subject is always the male lover. They are written in simple strophic forms, with repetition, variation, and parallelism, and most often include a refrain They are the largest body of female-voiced love lyrics of medieval times.