6th century in poetry

Arabic world
Pre-Islamic poetry at its height as the Arabic language emerges as a literary language.

Poets

 * 'Abid ibn al-Abris, (d. 554)
 * Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya (d. c. 560)
 * 'Alqama ibn 'Abada
 * Maymun Ibn Qays Al-a'sha (570–625)
 * al-Nabighah al-Dhubyani
 * Amr ibn Kulthum ( - c. 584?)
 * Antara Ibn Shaddad (d. c. 580)
 * Asma bint Marwan
 * Harith Ibn Hilliza Ul-Yashkuri (approx.)
 * Imru' al-Qais flourished mid-century; purported inventor of the Qasida form
 * Ka'b bin Zuhayr flourished during the time of Mohammed
 * Labīd (560–661)
 * Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya (d. c. 560), a Jewish poet writing in Arabic
 * Tarafah ibn al 'Abd

Poets
Listed in order by year of birth, if known or estimated:
 * Aneirin, a Brythonic Bard, flourishes in Cumbria toward the end of the century
 * Arator, of Liguria, writing in Latin
 * Sigisteus, Vandal count, patron of Parthenius (poet) and a poet himself
 * Parthenius (poet) patronized by the Vandal Count Sigisteus
 * Jacob of Serugh (451 – Nov. 521), writing in Syriac
 * Blossius Aemilius Dracontius (c. 455 – c. 505) of Carthage, a Latin poet
 * Magnus Felix Ennodius (474 – July 17, 521), Bishop of Pavia and poet, writing in Latin
 * Coluthus of Lycopolis (fl. 491-518), writing in Greek
 * Venantius Fortunatus (c. 530 – c. 600), Latin poet and hymnodist from Northern Italy
 * Taliesin (c. 534 – c. 599), the earliest identified Welsh poet
 * Chilperic I (c. 539 – September 584) Frankish king of Neustria and a Latin poet
 * Saint Columbanus (c. 543–615), Hiberno-Latin poet and writer

Works

 * Taliesin (c. 534 – c. 599), whose work has survived in a Middle Welsh manuscript, the Book of Taliesin.
 * 544 – Arator declaims his poem De Actibus Apostolorum in the Church of San Pietro-in-Vinculi

Poets

 * Musaeus
 * Agathias (c. 536–582/594)
 * Paulus Silentiarius (died 575–580),
 * Romanos the Melodist (approx.)
 * Procopius (c. 500–565)

Poets

 * Dandi, writing in Sanskrit (approx.)

Poets

 * Su Xiaoxiao (died 501), famous Chinese courtesan and poet

Timeline

 * 500 – Procopius born about this year (died 565)
 * 501 Su Xiaoxiao died, famous Chinese courtesan and poet
 * 505 – Blossius Aemilius Dracontius born about this year (born 455) of Carthage, a Latin poet
 * 521
 * July 17 – Magnus Felix Ennodius died (born 474 – July 17, 521), Bishop of Pavia and poet, writing in Latin
 * November – Jacob of Serugh died (born 451), writing in Syriac
 * 530 – Venantius Fortunatus born (c. 530 – c. 600), Latin poet and hymnodist from Northern Italy
 * 534 – Taliesin born about this year (died c. 599), the earliest identified Welsh poet
 * 536 – Agathias born about this year (died 582/594); Ancient Greek poet and historian
 * 539 – Chilperic I born (died September 584) Frankish king of Neustria and a Latin poet
 * 543 – Saint Columbanus (died 615), Hiberno-Latin poet and writer
 * 544 – Arator declaims his poem De Actibus Apostolorum in the Church of San Pietro-in-Vinculi
 * 554 – 'Abid ibn al-Abris died about this year; Arabic poet
 * 560:
 * Samaw'al ibn 'Adiya died about this year; Jewish poet writing in Arabic
 * Labīd born this year (died 661); Arabic poet
 * 565 – Procopius died (born about 500)
 * 570 – Maymun Ibn Qays Al-a'sha born (died 625)
 * 580 – Antara Ibn Shaddad died about this year; Arabic poet
 * 584
 * (September) – Chilperic I died (born 539) Frankish king of Neustria and a Latin poet
 * Amr ibn Kulthum died about this year; Arabic poet
 * 599 – Taliesin died about this year (born c. 534), the earliest identified Welsh poet