Around 600 AD, the quill pen, made from the flight feathers of large birds (especially geese), replaced the reed pen across Europe. Quills were more flexible, durable, and held a sharper point, allowing for finer writing. They remained the primary writing instrument in the West until the 19th century.

The quill was the essential tool for virtually every major Western poet for over a thousand years, from the Venerable Bede to Shakespeare and Milton. The distinctive character of its strokes influenced calligraphy and handwriting styles. The quill's dominance shaped the material practice of poetry, making it the symbol of the writer's craft.