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Forgotten Ground Regained

Poets and Writers

Introduction
The popular perception is that alliterative poetry is something that only happened in the middle ages (unless it was witten by J.R.R. Tolkien)
The popular perception couldn't be more wrong.
The links on this page will provide a sense of the great variety of alliterative poetry that has been written in the 20th and (especially) the 21st Century by practicing poets.
Note that I include authors on this page if they have written any of the following:
  • Strict alliterative meter, where the poet has taken care to follow the rules of Old English, Norse, or Middle English alliterative verse
  • Loose alliterative meter, where the poet roughly follows traditional alliterative norms, but sometimes allows alliterations to be missed or places alliteration in locations forbidden in traditional alliterative verse, such as on the last stressed syllable of a line.
  • Innovative alliterative meter, where the poet makes strict structural use of alliteration, but according to different rules or patterns than in traditional alliterative verse
  • Alliterative free verse, where strong-stress alliteration is used systematically (but organically) to link ideas within and across adjacent lines
The strict and loose alliterative poetry that I document definitely derive from an interest in historical alliterative meters. But the alliterative free verse poems I have found seem to represent a rather different beast: a case of poets rediscovering the power of strong-stress alliteration to connect the phrasal lines of free verse to produce powerful rhythmic and oratorical effects. There may also be some influence from African-American oratory (which always appreciated the power of alliteration), and the shift toward oral delivery of poetry, in slams and out, with our without a rap beat ... though this is speculation. But the phenomenon seems to be real. Which means, maybe we are approaching a fusion moment, when the old and the new alliterative styles create a new space of poetic possibilities.
While it is important to consider a whole range of influences that have led to the present moment, it is important to remember that using alliterative verse forms has deep roots in modern poetry, going back to Ezra Pound and the early modernists. In modern poetry, writing alliterative verse has always been respectable; it's just that until recently, not that many people wanted to do so.
Now many of them do.
Published Writers and Poets on the Author Page
  • Mary Alexandra Agner
  • Stanley P. Anderson
  • W.H. Auden
  • Judith Barrington
  • Henry Beard
  • John Beaton
  • Maxianne Berger
  • Earle Birney
  • Adam Bolivar
  • Beverliey Braune
  • Matthew Brennan
  • Björn Brudberg
  • Matthew Bullen
  • Geoff Burling
  • K.M. Butler
  • Nancy Campbell
  • Brenda Cardenas
  • William G. Carpenter
  • Anne Carson
  • Michael Champagne
  • Fred Chappell
  • Ted Charnley
  • Agatha Christie
  • Matthew Clegg
  • Frank Coffman
  • Michael R Collings
  • Kevin Corbett
  • Maryanne Corbett
  • Simon Corble
  • Ian Crockatt
  • Ailbhe Darcy
  • Adam O. Davis
  • Damien Donnelly
  • James S. Dorr
  • Susan Edwards
  • Richard Eberhart
  • Steve Ely
  • Anthony Etherin
  • David R. Ewbank
  • Annie Finch
  • Danny Fitzpatrick
  • Adrian Dallas Frandle
  • Joshua C. Frank
  • Andew Frisardi
  • Nancy Gaffield
  • Joshua Gage
  • Amanda Gorman
  • Timothy Green
  • Jane Greer
  • Malcolm Guite
  • Rahul Gupta
  • Daniel Gustafsson
  • Helen Hajnoczky
  • J.D. Harlock
  • K.F. Hartless
  • John Heath-Stubbs
  • Michael Helsem
  • Robin Helweg-Larsen
  • Kathryn Ann Hill
  • Daniel G. Hoffman
  • Gerard Manley Hopkins
  • Ted Hughes
  • John Ingham
  • David Jalajel
  • Robinson Jeffers
  • Theric Jepsen
  • George Johnston
  • Math Jones
  • A.M. Juster
  • Walt Kelly
  • Liz Kendall
  • Scott King
  • Rudyard Kipling
  • Karl Kirchwey
  • Steve Knepper
  • Leonard Kress
  • J.W. Laurel
  • Jeffrey Leiser
  • C. Day-Lewis
  • C.S. Lewis
  • Robert P. Lewis
  • Rebecca Henry Lowndes
  • Robert MacFarlane
  • Colin Mackenzie
  • Amit Majmudar
  • John C. Mannone
  • Charles Martin
  • Michael McAfee
  • Cait O’Neill McCullagh
  • Chris McCully
  • Cassidy McFadzean
  • Síodhna McGowan
  • James Merrill
  • Tim Miller
  • Edwin Morgan
  • William Morris
  • Keith Moul
  • Frank Mundo
  • James Murphy
  • Timothy Murphy
  • Shelly Nir
  • Margaret Noodin
  • Rose Novick
  • Douglas Oliver
  • P.K. Page
  • Richard Pierce
  • J.M. Pitt
  • Pedro Poitevin
  • Jacob Polley
  • Aaron Poochigian
  • Ezra Pound
  • Claudia Putnam
  • Camllle Ralphs
  • Alex Rettie
  • Carter Revard
  • Fiona Richardson
  • David B. Ring
  • Emma Robinson
  • Bertha Rogers
  • Rick Roots
  • Loretta Sue Ross
  • Liv Ross
  • Jacob Saenz
  • Joseph S. Salemi
  • Cintia Santana
  • Jane Satterfield
  • Stephen Scaer
  • Lancelot Schaubert
  • Myra Schneider
  • Grace Schulman
  • Steven Searcy
  • Anindita Sengupta
  • Thomas Sharp
  • Michael Simms
  • Robin Skelton
  • Margaret Stearns
  • Peter Stills (of Crosby, Stills, & Nash)
  • Luke Stromberg
  • Allan Sullivan
  • Peter Sutton
  • Alex J. Taylor
  • Marcie Lynn Tentchoff
  • Mary Thaler
  • Eli Thorpe
  • Lisa Timpf
  • J.R.R. Tolkien
  • Robert Trainor
  • Rachel Trousdale
  • Edward Turbeville
  • Lewis Turco
  • Laura Varnam
  • Christopher Webster
  • Zach Weinersmith
  • Kathleene West
  • Richard Wilbur
  • Donald Mace Williams
  • James Matthew Wilson
  • Ryan Wilson
  • Steven Withrow
  • Martin Kenndy Yates
  • Paul Edwin Zimmer
Others
Note: The poetry linked here ranges in quality from novice work to brilliant. It is probably just the tenth of the iceberg that shows above the ocean. There is almost certainly much more out there. Send me links if you find them ... use the following email, making the standard substiution: pdeane[at]alliteration.net
Blog Posts and Other Alliterative Verse Available on the Web
Poems from Alex Rettie's 2025 Alliteration Contest
Bob Beagrie
A Festival of Words and Images. Starbeck Orion, Issue #8: A Festschrift of Bob Beagrie.
Richard Bicknase
  • Each mirthful memory ...
  • A sparrow chirps ....
David ben Alexander
  • Praying poetry, or: Soothing but
  • “A Ferskeytt Poem”
Patrick Bond
For Thine is the Crow (in needle writers)
Ted Bonham
  • A First Attempt at Alliterative Verse
  • Remember Crossfields?
Nik Gunn
  • Translation of ‘Song of the Sun’ in Ancient Exchanges
Jack Hart
  • An alliterative epic poem based on The Skilled Huntsman by the Brothers Grimm (Part 1: Intro & Second Thoughts; Part 2: Meets & Flights; Part 3: Deals in the Dark, Part 4: Moonlit Mansion, Part 5: Dread Dispatches, Part 6: Maiden's Meeting), Part 7, Wind's Whisper
  • Galilean: A Dream Poem
  • Prologue
  • To Deor
Josiah Hawthorne
  • Weary Hands
Tim Miller
  • Pythagoras
G.T.A. Ogle
  • The Dancer’s Daughter
  • The Dream of Love
  • Fames/Fama
Mark Antony Owen
  • At Pagham
Joshua Philipp
  • Unshaken Faith and Other Poems
Pinifera
  • Redding Bay
Ben Quant
  • The Sixth Day
  • The Visitation of Black Shuck
  • The Crows
  • Completed
  • Driving Through 1066
  • Fragments from a Forgotten Saga
  • Hertfordshire Chain Walk
Daniel Schutten
  • Men Without Chests
  • Grief
John Simmons
  • Greet Another Day Gone By
Tony Walsh
  • A Sonnet for Earth, 2014
  • A Place for Peace of Mind by Elizabeth Eaton
  • A Tale of the Town and Gown by Michelle Reid
  • Aftermath of an Affair by Laura Bloomsbury
  • Alliterative Monostich by Marie Cadavieco
  • Alliterative verse review of “The Green Knight (movie, 2021) by Hannibal Montana
  • Aurora Artificialis by @endlessforms
  • Avid Haunt by BrandiBeeMital
  • Bureau of Consensus by @spiders
  • Bedtime Stories by @spiders
  • Bogusword by Michael Murray
  • Bringing down the Berlin Wall by Ysabeth Barrette
  • Charm to Effect a Changed Signal by Ldlbrown
  • Death in Winter by Jane Dougherty
  • Divine Matter by Elizabeth Anker
  • Down to the Deepest Depths by sifaseven
  • "Forge a Fate" and "Daughter of the Storm" by Alexis Drake
  • Bondage Broken by Judi van Gorder
  • Bear Spray by Paul Guernsey (AA/BB alliteration)
  • Healing by Cammeron (Jay) Jones
  • Hormonally Pigmented Puppets on Parade by Michael Murray
  • Hound by Sarah
  • In a Handbag by Millicent Callahan
  • Ongoing Kalevala translation by Team Louhi
  • Li Bai translated into alliterative verse (Fungocrat)
  • Lyfe by Cocoyea
  • Oathless by J.D.H.
  • Our Blockheaded Diva by Paul Guernnsey
  • Seeping Scarlet Screams by Nthato Morakabi
  • Self-Aggrandizing Bullshit by aqec
  • Shade Tree Mechanic by Dwight L. Roth
  • Spring Morning, Christmas Marvels, and Gardens by Jonathan Lovelace
  • Storm by Jim Cameron
  • The Windsong Testaments: Fafnheir's Lament by Jason Tondro
  • Three Skaldic Poems and a Rant about Form by James Hart
  • Tree and Leaf by Malcolm Guite
  • When Gaiety Stopped by Julia Ward
Humor
  • Alliterative Cat in the Hat by Cassandra Rasmussen
  • How To Tell If You Are In An Old English Poem by Samantha Finley
  • Beasty Boys, Corrected
  • Trick or Treat from Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith
  • Stan Rogers alliterative (Zach Weinersmith)
  • Beowulf and Godsylla (Tom Weller)
Audio/Video
  • Alliterative verse review of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (movie, 2021) by Robert Breedlove
  • Storm by Jim Cameron
  • Flatlands (Song) by Ryan Culwell
  • Alliterative Verse by Lucas Grange
  • Four poems inspired by the Anglo Saxon by Andrew Norris
  • V is for Vendetta (speech from the movie)
  • A Colony of Ants, a Flamboyant of Flamingos, and a Bloat of Hippopatomous Met One Day by Lillian the Home Poet
  • “A fleeting duck flittered …” by Anne Onymous
  • A little asian: part 1 by @destinykrainbow
  • “A Reprise” by Emyr Lewis
  • A Riddle by Malcolm Cowen
  • “A saccharine meeting …” by Aquila!
  • A Tempest in TPOT by Eirik Westcoat
  • “All still and stately …” and "Ere being drew breath" by Ender Smith
  • An attempt at alliterative verse by vechid
  • Attempted Conversion by Abu Talha
  • Born to Brave by Timothy Hamilton
  • Classic Fold by Laura Kerr
  • Coconut by Jeremy
  • Dragon of the Dark Forest by whiterosebrian
  • Example of alliterative verse by The Anglo-Scandinavian Chronicles
  • Feathersong the Mighty by Runekaster
  • February by Kittysverses
  • First Rain by paper.ink.and.reveries
  • First Skaldic Musings by Shena Lewington
  • Fish in the Net by White-Rose-Brian
  • Forest of Possibilities by Elizabeth
  • Forever Forgotten by tetheredsanity
  • Forþfæderas by Tim Fellows
  • Fragments of ‘Wires and Stars’ by Alastair Zaraza
  • From This Hunting Lodge Rode Sir John of Gaunt and Downbound Train Beowulf by randomerbobsxyz
  • Grant Me a Boat by Andrew Wilson
  • Gypsy Girl by verseandevenworse
  • “Hard to haggle ..” by Todd Anderson
  • “Hound” by Sarah
  • Ikornamal (“The Sayings of the Squirrel”) by The Ratatoskian Rite
  • Just a Dint by Kim M. Russell
  • Lake under Sun and Breezes
  • Like a Daemon by Paul Vincent Cannon
  • Manchester Man with Goals by Shana Lewington
  • Manticore by Will Knight
  • Méliès’ The Astronomer’s Dream, Realized in Modified Anglo-Saxon Alliterative Verse by Chris Edwards
  • Moments of Mourning by Cheeky Parrot of the Night
  • Night's Possessions by M.S. Jadeli
  • Not by Bread Alone by Mandy
  • “Raveshing Raven” by A.A. Rubin
  • Regarding Circles, Eddaic Stanza, and Winter Scene by Scriblerus-tertius
  • “So came the clamor …” by JT The Ninja
  • "So Frigid Here" by Jessica Monahan
  • Stone Still by SirSqueebles
  • Sudden Hymn in Winter by Joseph Fasano
  • Testaments Betrayed by lfborjas
  • The Bard by Kathy Labrum
  • “The deep tracks …” by Tom Holland
  • “The flowing garb …” by variouswrites
  • The Harried Housewife by Sue Stone
  • The Magic Forest by Chris Economou
  • The Road I Walk by Dorahak
  • “The Silver Bough” by “Yendorcire”
  • The Sixth Day by Ben Quant
  • The Tree-Splitter by Daniel D. McCollum
  • The Winter Copse by Andy Perrin
  • Translation of ‘The Wanderer’ by J. Simon Harris
  • Trials, Troubles, Blessings and Praise by Sarah Nderi
  • “Water flowing …” by pranicroom
  • “When Luna spies …” by Arum Natzorkhang
  • Whipping Winds by David Preston
  • “wild green was that world gone …” and “Humor me, Muse ..” by Gwytaglow
Copyright © Paul D. Deane, 2023
No part of this site may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems
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