Alliterative verse

In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal stylistic device to unify lines of poetry, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme.

Related Topics:
Prosody - Verse - Alliteration - Rhyme

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The most intensively studied traditions of alliterative verse are those found in the oldest literature of many Germanic languages. Alliterative verse, in various forms, is found widely in the literary traditions of the early Germanic languages. The Old English epic Beowulf, as well as most other Old English poetry, the Bavarian Muspillo, the Old Saxon Heliand, and the Old Norse Poetic Edda all use alliterative verse.

Related Topics:
Germanic language - Old English - Epic - Beowulf - Old English poetry - Bavaria - Muspillo - Old Saxon - Heliand - Old Norse - Poetic Edda

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Alliterative verse can be found in many other languages as well, although rarely with the systematic rigor of Germanic forms. The Finnish Kalevala and the Estonian Kalevipoeg both use alliterative forms derived from folk tradition. Traditional Turkic verse, for example that of the Uyghur, is also alliterative.

Related Topics:
Finnish - Kalevala - Estonian - Kalevipoeg - Turkic - Uyghur

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