By C. Lee Vermeers

Not only did Gaelic poetry work with specific meters and rules of alliteration, assonance, and rhyme, but also there were specific types of subject and ways of ornamenting poetry that were important. The most famous ornament actually doesn’t show up until fairly late, that being the saigid (which actually refers, technically, only to the repetition of the initial word), where the final word of the poem (or portion of a word, or even entire phrase) is repeated. Other significant ornaments include the use of existing proverbs or choruses, specific imagery and metaphor (such as the meanings and values assigned to trees or birds), understatement and double-negatives ("you were not miserly" would mean that someone was extraordinarily generous), the use of titles and epithets, or the naming of others as allies or ex-allies of the subject of the poem. Specific qualities the subject possesses, or which it is desired the subject emulate, are often enumerated in praise poetry (or satire, when the qualities are negative). Usually, the opening line of a poem would declare the subject or theme of the poem, but this was not a hard and fast rule, and often a poem would wander around, seemingly aimlessly.

Subjects for a poem were manifold, ranging from the aforementioned praise-poetry and satire to hymns of divine praise, from eulogies to courting. Curses were leveled, riddles were told, and battles were begun by poetry. Large social debates were conducted via competing poems extolling the virtues or vices of particular ideas. Most Gaels were capable of composing a poem improvisationally, though obviously some were better than others. Young men would tease young women in verse, and contests of "flyting", exactly like the modern "rap battles" documented (for example) in the movie 8 Mile, would be fought, with poetic insults exchanged until it was clear that one poet was the winner.

Gaelic poetry was also song, and song was poetry. Certain types of song were felt to be appropriate for certain activities: waulking songs were sung while beating out wool, reaping songs while harvesting, and rowing songs in boats at sea. There were, of course, other activities which had songs and poetic forms dedicated to them.

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