Alessandro Tassoni (28 September 1565 – 25 April 1635) was an Italian poet and writer, from Modena, best known as the author of the mock-heroic poem La secchia rapita (The Rape of the Pail, or The stolen bucket).

Though he always denied having written it (probably for fear of Spanish retaliation), the work became famous enough to ingratiate Tassoni to the Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, who, in 1618 hired him in Turin with the title of first secretary.

However, Tassoni is best known as the author of the mock-heroic poem La secchia rapita (The Rape of the Pail, or The stolen bucket); it is by virtue of this work that he is remembered as Modena's poet laureate.

The narration is dotted by references to situations and persons contemporary to the author, and with farcical appearances such as the "Conte di Culagna" (Count of Ass-land) probably the best known character of the book.

Spesso ammazzato avea qualche gigante, e si scopriva poi ch'era un cappone, onde i fanciulli dietro di lontano gli soleano gridar: - Viva Martano.

Avea ducento scrocchi in una schiera, mangiati da la fame e pidocchiosi; ma egli dicea ch'eran duo mila e ch'era una falange d'uomini famosi: dipinto avea un pavon ne la bandiera con ricami di seta e d'or pomposi: l'armatura d'argento e molto adorna; e in testa un gran cimier di piume e corna.

While Marino's influence was fading, Tassoni's comic poem opened the way for the works of his epigones: L'Eneide travestita (1634), a parody by Giovanni Battista Lalli, imitated in the Virgile travesti by Paul Scarron, Il Malmantile racquistato by Lorenzo Lippi (1676) and several others.