Anglish Poetry

Anglish is a style of English that avoids words with roots in Latin, Greek, or other foreign languages, using only words of native (Germanic) origin — mostly Old English and early Germanic influences. It’s English as it might have been if foreign borrowings hadn’t entered after the Norman Conquest (1066) and later.
Writers and language enthusiasts use Anglish to explore the “feel” of pure, native English — often resulting in a more earthy, blunt, and vivid style. A form of the Sarah B. Royal’s own making, Anglish Poetry uses only words of native Old English or early Germanic root — no Latin, Greek, or French words at all.

This form is complimented by Heavy alliteration (same starting sounds: wind/woodland, frost/falls/fir-tree, etc.) Short, strong beats (2–4 stresses per line) Old-rooted words only (no Latin/French vocabulary) and a Mood, rough, mythic, heroic but simple.

An Anglish Fairy Tale

Wind whips the woodland,
Frost falls on fir-tree,
Night gnaws the knoll-path,
Stars stand and shiver.

Bold in the briar-boughs,
A maid of mid-mist,
Hair hewn of hearth-flame,
Eyes of the elder-sky,
Treads through the thistle-throng,
Seeks for the shadow-king.

He, on a thorn-throne,
Clad in cloak of cold,
Calls with a crow-cry,
Binds with a bitter ring.

But bright is the bold maid,
Wise in woodland ways,
Winds with whispering words,
Breaks the balespell’s bind.

Sun shatters shadow,
Snow softens, seeps;
Folk feast by firelight,
Tale told in timbered halls.

For more challenge, use Kennings: A kenning is a poetic device used mainly in Old English and Old Norse poetry.
It’s a compound phrase that replaces a simple noun — giving it a more vivid, imaginative description.

Example kennings: whale-road = the sea/sky-candle = the sun
battle-sweat = blood/word-hoard = speech or thoughts

Kennings make poetry feel mythic, rough, and colorful, fitting especially well with Anglish and alliterative verse.

An Anglish Fairy Tale (with Kennings)

Wind-whip wails the wood-world,
Frost-feather falls on fir-hall,
Night-gnaw nips at knoll-path,
Star-glint stiff on stone.

Bright-hair, hearth-born maiden,
Mist-walker, kin of clay,
Treads thorn-track, seeks the shadow-thane,
Cold-cloak crowned on crag-seat.

Crow-call cracks the stillness,
Ring-bind grips the bold,
Woe-weaver, bane-binder,
Stands with steel-shard smile.

But flame-heart fares with word-hoard,
Whisper-wise winds the way,
Breaks bane-bond, breaks night’s noose,
Sun-shard sears the shade.

Folk of field and fold
Feast by fire-breath bright,
Song-sway and hall-harps
Sound till star-fall’s hush.

Kenning→ Translation / Meaning
wind-whip→ the strong, whipping wind
wood-world→ the forest
frost-feather→ snow or frost falling like feathers
fir-hall→ a forest made of fir trees
night-gnaw→ the chill or danger of night
knoll-path→ a hilly path (small hill = knoll)
star-glint→ stars shining or twinkling
bright-hair→ a person (the maiden) with golden/light hair
hearth-born maiden→ a girl raised in a homely or good place (hearth = home/fire)
mist-walker→ someone moving through mist (mysterious traveler)
thorn-track→ a path full of brambles/thorns
shadow-thane→ a dark king, a lord of shadows
cold-cloak→ a cloak made of cold (metaphor for an icy king)
crag-seat→ a throne or resting place on a rocky cliff
crow-call→ a harsh cry, like a crow (sign of doom)
ring-bind→ a binding spell (like being trapped by a ring of magic)
woe-weaver→ a bringer of sorrow or doom
bane-binder→ someone who binds others with destruction (bane = harm)
flame-heart→ a courageous or fiery-hearted person
word-hoard→ collection of words; wisdom or clever speech
bane-bond→ destructive binding, a curse
night’s noose → a trap or grip of darkness
sun-shard→ a ray or beam of sunlight
folk of field and fold→ people of the farms and countryside
fire-breath bright→ fire (blazing light from fire)
song-sway→ the stirring of songs, music moving people
hall-harps→ harps played in a great hall (for celebrations)
star-fall’s hush→ the quiet of night when stars fall or fade

Each kenning paints a vivid picture using only natural, action-based images — very true to Anglish and old poetic traditions.