Writing An Alliterative Poem

In the Style of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an alliterative poem. Alliterative poetry uses the repetition of consonant sounds as the primary ornament of its poetry. Alliterative poetry may, or may not, use meter (the counting of syllables and their stresses). The Gawain poet did not use a fixed meter. In this assignment you will write a short alliterative poem imitating the style of the Gawain poet. Your poem should consist of at least 10 main body lines prior to ending in a rhyme scheme (using the A, B, A, B, A rhyming pattern seen in Sir Gawain). 

A few things to keep in mind when constructing your poem: 

First, alliterative poetry uses the repetition of consonant sounds. Those consonant sounds do not need to be from the exact same consonant. For instance, “The Kangaroo can connect with other kinds of animals on the continent” uses both “K” and “C” to create a repetition of consonant sounds. Think also of words like “what” and “once” which both have the “W” consonant sound even though the latter word has not “W” anywhere in it. In fact the “O” of the second word isn’t even a consonant though it provides a consonant sound.

Second, the consonant sound does not necessarily need to be found at the beginning of the word. For instance, “The tortoise’s tremendous truck was a high octane transportation.” The word “octane” contains the hard “t” sound and therefore aids the alliteration of the line.

Third, although some alliterative poetry uses the same consonant sound for the entire poem, or at least the entire stanza, the Gawain poet did not. Since we are imitating his style you should switch the consonant sound being repeated within each successive line or at least every couple of lines.

Finally, in keeping with the Gawain poet’s methodology, the beginning of the rhyme scheme should be set below the and apart from the main body of alliterative lines. It should break away from the alliteration of the last line and not repeat the most recent consonant sound that was being used for that purpose. Using the A, B, A, B, A rhyming pattern your 1st, 3rd, and 5th lines (the A lines) should end with words that rhyme with one another. Your 2nd and 4th lines (the B lines) should also rhyme with each other but they ought to be distinct in their sound from the A lines.

Mark an Example:

Prior to writing your own poem, read carefully and mark the various elements, discussed above, in the first stanza of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Using two different colors of erasable pen, underline the repeated consonant sound in each line of the stanza. Switch from one color to the other (back and forth) each time the consonant sound being repeated changes. To the right of each line note which consonant sound is being used alliteratively in that line. For example, if the line were “Guinevere gaily gazed at the goodly knight” you would then write a “G” to the right of that line. At the end of the stanza use two new colors to mark the matching rhyming words of the A, B, A, B, A rhyming pattern. All the A rhyming words should be underlined in one color and all of the B rhyming words underlines in a different color.

Stanza 1: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

When the siege and the assault had ceased at Troy, 

and the fortress fell in flame to firebrands and ashes, 

the traitor who the contrivance of treason there fashioned 

was tried for his treachery, the most true upon earth— 

it was Æneas the noble and his renowned kindred 

who then laid under them lands, and lords became 

of well-nigh all the wealth in the Western Isles. 

When royal Romulus to Rome his road had taken, 

in great pomp and pride. He peopled it first, 

and named it with his own name that yet now it bears; 

Tirius went to Tuscany and towns founded, 

Langaberde in Lombardy uplifted halls, 

and far over the French flood Felix Brutus 

on many a broad bank and brae Britain established 

full fair 

where strange things, strife and sadness, 

at whiles in the land did fare, 

and each other grief and gladness 

oft fast have followed there.

Topic:

For this assignment you will pick one of the seven virtues, or one of their corresponding vices of deficiency or excess, as the topic of your poem. 

Original Example: An Alliterative Poem About The Vice of License

When justices unjustly gesture indifference,

allowing loathsome men to alight upon the liberty of others,

then gaiety and gallantry quickly gets itself gone from great nations.

When wicked men unmindful of their mortality make play,

No fear nor faith can man find for all their forensic endeavors.

Under rulers derelict of duty doth a nation diminish

For good laws are only good when the gods of the people do not guffaw at them.

Let then magistrates muster their might for mankind’s sake,

teaching truth, tolerating not the treacherous in their treason,

Nor hindering those who hold true with He who sits in the heavens.

For when from wisdom rulers walk wickedly into want

Of truth,

Nations and citizens suffer alike.

For goodly laws kept instruct the youth

Without them there be no pike

And immorality reigns in sooth.