Monstrous murderers, on mayhem bent.
Huge the hurt. Their horror spreads
In wild wastes, woe-betiding,
With callous cruelty decapitating strangers,
Inhaling hate. Inhuman blades
Are bathed in blood with blessings cursed.
Gruesome rise the ghosts as the god-mistaken
Avenge like angels ascended from the pit.
Righteous religion the reason given.
No law of love, no lingua franca,
A blinded brotherhood imbued with hate.
We pray for peace. Peace is not their aim.
Yet we yearn. Universal is our sorrow.
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Author Notes
Alliterative verse is a specific style used in Old English epic poetry from about the 5th century until the 12th century. Although alliteration is its basic structural principle, there are other conventions to the form.
It divides each line into two half-lines.
. A pause separates the two half-lines, the a-verse and the b-verse
. Each half-lines usually has two heavily stressed syllables, referred to as 'lifts' or 'beats' (other, less heavily stressed syllables, are called 'dips').
. The lifts in the a-verse alliterate with the first lift in the b-verse.
. The second lift in the b-verse does not alliterate with the first lifts.
This is my first attempt at writing alliterative verse. Guidance by anyone familiar with the form would be appreciated!
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