Alms for Oblivion is a 400-line quest poem, seeking the roots of inspiration, in which the protagonist is split in half—the "he" represents the rational, scientific mind; the "I" is a mystic romantic, deeply imbued with muse lore ranging from Fanny Brawne to Cerddwen to the Ur-poet Enheduanna's goddess Inanna. New World and Old World mythologies are intertwined. Eventually, the split protagonist reintegrates and finds that both sides are seeking the same thing.