Tolkien's "On Translating Beowulf" (In The Monsters and the Critics) has a good intro on Early English metre.
Alternatively, this site on contemporary alliterative poetry includes section on Old English and Norse technique: http://alliteration.net/index.htm
For what I can remember, and simplifying things, the basics are as follow:
Forget about rhyme and think of alliteration instead. Your basic line has got two parts, each part has got strong (stressed) and weak (unstressed) syllables.
You only alliterate the strong syllables, and you must alliterate the first strong in the second part with the strongest of the first part. You can also extend the alliteration to the second strong syllable in the first part, but you must not alliterate the last strong syllable in the second part. Example from Tolkien:
"they BORE aBOARD, / in her BOSOM piling" (alliterates 1a, 1b and 2a)
"TIME passed away / on the TIDE floated" (alliterates 1a and 2a)
Re: Eagle's Mead and Prayer Resources
Alternatively, this site on contemporary alliterative poetry includes section on Old English and Norse technique: http://alliteration.net/index.htm
For what I can remember, and simplifying things, the basics are as follow:
Forget about rhyme and think of alliteration instead. Your basic line has got two parts, each part has got strong (stressed) and weak (unstressed) syllables.
You only alliterate the strong syllables, and you must alliterate the first strong in the second part with the strongest of the first part. You can also extend the alliteration to the second strong syllable in the first part, but you must not alliterate the last strong syllable in the second part. Example from Tolkien:
"they BORE aBOARD, / in her BOSOM piling" (alliterates 1a, 1b and 2a)
"TIME passed away / on the TIDE floated" (alliterates 1a and 2a)
Have fun!
Manuel