What was the name of J.R.R. Tolkien's first published poem?

J.R.R. Tolkien's first published poem was “The Battle of the Eastern Field.”

The poem appeared in 1911 in the school magazine of King Edward’s School in Birmingham, where Tolkien was a pupil. It reflects Tolkien’s early interest in verse, historical subjects, and the sound patterns of older forms of English. The publication predates his major Middle-earth books by more than two decades.

Tolkien wrote poetry throughout his life, both independently and as part of his fictional narratives. Poems later appeared in The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and collections assembled from his other writings. His early verse shows that his literary development began well before the publication of his most famous fiction.

This fact is often confused with Tolkien’s first professionally published work or his first major book. “The Battle of the Eastern Field” was an early school-magazine publication, not a Middle-earth novel and not a later commercial collection.