Quhy Sowld Nocht Allane Honorit Be
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"Quhy Sowld Nocht Allane Honorit Be" ("Why Should Not Allan Honoured Be?")[1] is an anonymous allegorical poem of the fifteenth or sixteenth century written in Scots.[2][3]
Literally the poem recounts the strange life and adventures of a man called "Allane" who grows from a youth to a powerful adult. Figuratively each of its stanzas also represents an aspect of the production or consumption of ale.
Obliquely it describes the cultivation of barley, malting, brewing and the various effects of drinking. "Allane" is a personification of ale.
Although some attention is paid to the undesirable consequences of drunkenness, the tone of the poem is mostly one of praise for the drink.