Speculative Poetry and the Modern Alliterative Revival

Dennis Wilson Wise is professor of practice and director of undergraduate studies for the English Department at the University of Arizona.

• Part I: The Early RevivalC. S. LEWISJOHN D. NILESFLETCHER PRATT and L. SPRAGUE DE CAMPJOHN MYERS MYERSPOUL ANDERSONAVRAM DAVIDSONL. SPRAGUE DE CAMPEDWIN MORGANDARRELL SCHWEITZERPAUL EDWIN ZIMMER (A)ROBERT A. COOKDIANA L. PAXSONPart II: Society for Creative AnachronismANNE ETKINPAUL EDWIN ZIMMER (B) JERE FLECKBARCHAN THE KIPCHAKPETER N. SCHWEITZERDAVID FRIEDMANRON SNOWSANDRA B. STRAUBHAARCHRISTIE WARDFRIDA WESTFORDJOHN RUBLEMARY K. SAVELLIANA KEVENEYLEIGH ANN HUSSEYBETH MORRIS TANNERDANIEL MARSHROBERT CUTHBERTM. WENDY HENNEQUINPart III: Later RevivalistsMARCIE LYNN TENTCHOFFJAMES DORRJO WALTONMICHAEL R. COLLINGSFRANK COFFMANPAUL DOUGLAS DEANEADAM BOLIVARMICHAEL MCAFEEJOSHUA GAGEPATRICK ROTHFUSSRAHUL GUPTAMARY ALEXANDRA AGNERMIKE BIERSCHENKMICHAELA MACHAMATH JONESPart IV: Speculative Adjacent PoemsJAMES BLISHP. K. PAGEGEORGE JOHNSTONEARLE BIRNEYW. H. AUDENC. DAY-LEWISJOHN HEATH-STUBBSCARTER REVARDFRED CHAPPELLMATTHEW DICKERSONAppendicesAppendix A: Letter to the Editor of Star*Line, by Steve RasnicAppendix B: Metrical Essay on Three Alliterative TraditionsAppendix C: “The True Critics,” by Paul Edwin ZimmerAppendix D: A Selected Bibliography

The phrase “alliterative poetry” immediately connotes archaism, and a literary tradition almost moribund since the mid-fifteenth century. University of Arizona academic Dennis Wilson Wise suggests that the form has been revived almost unnoticed over the last hundred years, and subtly shapes some modern literature, despite the indifference or even opposition of arbiters of taste... Wise’s dogged truffle-hunting across this redolent if sometimes rubbish-strewn terrain has uncovered some real prizes, at least some of which are almost certain to be new to even the most widely read. Hopefully, this welcome academic interest can help bring a degree of coherence to this sadly scattered field, and dedicated new adherents to this ancient art.