Poetry in Somali society

During the dry season nomads of Somalis turn to their favorite entertainment: the art of alliterative poetry. The rules of alliteration, for instance, require the poet to use at least one word beginning with the alliterative sound in each half line of a poem, no small achievement if the poem is a hundred lines long. As well as this, a subtle rhythmic pattern must be followed, and the audience naturally expects forceful imagery and a good style, talented men compose poetry in impressive quantities: there are no professional bards, but a popular poet achieves the kind of nation-wide prestige which can certainly be envied by the unappreciated poets of modern Europe.