Poetry in Tolkiens Work

[Thorin Lannister of Arda]

Hello Guys,

What are your favourite Pieces of Poetry in Tolkiens World? as you know there are many Poems and Songs in Middle-Earth. My favourite Poem of Tolkien is Durins Song.

[Jo498]

It has been many years but I was quite impressed with the fragmentary epics in verse, the "Lays of Beleriand", i.e. the Narn i hin Hurin and the Lay of Leithian (Beren and Luthien). I expected "unreadable" academic exercises but they are quite good.

[Clueless Northman]

I obviously like the Ring verses and the riddle of Strider. And love a lot Sam's poem in Cirith Ungol - about the stars far above that will live eternally, far from Evil's touch.

And I'm also quite fond of the following - Sauron addressing Beren and Finrod disguised in the Lay of Leithian:

Whom do ye serve, Light or Mirk?
Who is the maker of mightiest work?
Who is the king of earthly kings,
the greatest giver of gold and rings?
Who is the master of the wide earth?
Who despoiled them of their mirth,
the vain Valar? Repeat your vows,
Orcs of Bauglir! Do not bend your brows.
Death to light, to law, to love;
cursed be moon and stars above;
may darkness everlasting old
that waits outside in surges cold
drown Manwë, Varda and the sun;
may all in hatred be begun
and all in evil ended be
in the moaning of the endless Sea!

[SeanF]

I always enjoy the chant of the Barrow Wight, who imprisons the hobbits.  Also, What Ship Will Bear Me Back Across so Wide a Sea?

I can't abide the verses of Tom Bombadil.

[Argonath Diver]

I have lived several places instead of settling down like most of my childhood friends. I have a lovely framed poster of my favorite quote, "Not all those who wander are lost" - I've said for years that if I were to get a tattoo, that perfect little line would be it. So, yep, I'll forever put the Riddle of Strider at the top. I suppose that would be by far the commonest answer, but it's mine nonetheless. 

[Wilbur]

It is interesting to think about the critical reception to Tolkien's poetry, or to JRRT himself as a poet.  My own anecdotal experience back in my school days was that the academic community literally never gave him a second thought.

As a schoolboy, an English literature course I took required the students to create the infamous poetry portfolio, a project that was generally regarded with fairly limited anticipation.  Knowing that it was a requirement that I would face, however, I had already begun throwing poems into a folder for some months before the assignment came to us officially, and on that day the teacher offered us some unstructured time on the project.  I approached her with my folder, in which I had a couple of Tolkien poetry bits that were my adolescent self's current favorites.

This teacher then proceeded to $hit upon me from a great height, ripping on me and my intellect at volume and length in front of my peers, and the gist of her message was that she only wanted "Poetry", not just some words that rhymed, and that Tolkien was not a poet.

Later in university, I gingerly brought up the poetry of Tolkien to several different English literature and poetry profs.  I wanted to see if the schoolteacher was just a nut, or if these doctors of literature also disregarded JRRT.  Some of them admitted to enjoying reading his books, but again, none of them were willing to support his poetry as "quality literature".  I have always felt sort of bad about this.

[Tears of Lys]

13 hours ago, Wilbur said:

 

Later in university, I gingerly brought up the poetry of Tolkien to several different English literature and poetry profs.  I wanted to see if the schoolteacher was just a nut, or if these doctors of literature also disregarded JRRT.  Some of them admitted to enjoying reading his books, but again, none of them were willing to support his poetry as "quality literature".  I have always felt sort of bad about this.

Just because these people have bad taste does not mean you must accept their erroneous opinions. 

/sniff 

And that "teacher" who ripped on you in front of the class should have been horse-whipped.  She's not worthy of being called a teacher.   

My favorite poems or "songs" of Tolkien's generally tend toward lowbrow Hobbit favorites, particularly the one where he takes the one about the dish running away with the spoon and turns it into his own.  Give me inventive, gripping or charming literature over "quality" literature any day. 

(But I agree that Tom Bombadil is grating.) 

[Arataniello]

Some of the early stuff he wrote was really enjoyable, especially the Lay of Leithian and Kortirion amongst the Trees.  Then again, there are the poems about Tinfang bloody Warble that are best forgotten.

I agree that some of the Bombadil stuff is terrible, and let us not forget the truly heinous stuff that the Elves of Rivendell spout in The Hobbit.

The Rohirric poem about the Battle of Pelennor Fields is improved by its being set to music - in the radio adaptation by the BBC.

[Lyanna Stark]

If you think his poetry is a bit bleergh in English (and to be fair most of it is, the only point being that it looks ever so pretty in Tengwar), try reading it translated. It is absolutely eyeboggle and not in a good way, either. That said, I only have the old translation of LOTR, so perhaps it is time to invest in a fourth copy of it.

[The Marquis de Leech]

27 minutes ago, Lyanna Stark said:

If you think his poetry is a bit bleergh in English (and to be fair most of it is, the only point being that it looks ever so pretty in Tengwar), try reading it translated. It is absolutely eyeboggle and not in a good way, either. That said, I only have the old translation of LOTR, so perhaps it is time to invest in a fourth copy of it.

The legendarily bad one?

[The Marquis de Leech]

Another vote for the (quite creepy) chant of the Barrow Wight.

[Lyanna Stark]

12 minutes ago, Roose Boltons Pet Leech said:

The legendarily bad one?

By Åke Ohlmarks yes (who by the way studied and worked at the same University I went to, woe ). It is a bit bizarre to read the original text after reading his interpretation of it. Still, I quite liked that he sometimes was a bit more flowery and I actually found his prose less stilted at times. Sure, it's supposed to be inspired by the Icelandic sagas and what have you, which means laconic is the rule, but I feel Ohlmarks' translation got panned not only because it is doubtful (which it is) but because he himself was supremely bonkers.

[Thorin Lannister of Arda]

In my View the 50th Anniversary Edition is the Best. Maybe i think like this because i read the german Translations of LOTR. The first german Translation was good as Tolkien himself was involved in this. But the second German Translation is a Catastrophe. As it is the german Translation of ASoIaF. An Example: In German the Name Lannister is spelled: "Lennister" (sic!) HORRIBLE but i must say that i like the Translation of Jon Snow into the German Jon "Schnee" because Snow is rather a Title in Winterfell than a Family Name

[matt b]

Am I the only one that always skipped the poems?

[SeanF]

18 hours ago, Arataniello said:

Some of the early stuff he wrote was really enjoyable, especially the Lay of Leithian and Kortirion amongst the Trees.  Then again, there are the poems about Tinfang bloody Warble that are best forgotten.

I agree that some of the Bombadil stuff is terrible, and let us not forget the truly heinous stuff that the Elves of Rivendell spout in The Hobbit.

The Rohirric poem about the Battle of Pelennor Fields is improved by its being set to music - in the radio adaptation by the BBC.

I don't think old Tom Bombadil has many fans.  He's the William McGonagall of Middle Earth.

[The Marquis de Leech]

Bombadil's more interesting as an idea than as a character. I mean, this weird little nature spirit thingy adds a nice dose of mystery to the world, as does his complete neutrality and his immunity to the Ring. It's just that... Tolkien's execution was off. Way off.

[maarsen]

On Monday, October 24, 2016 at 10:16 AM, matt b said:

Am I the only one that always skipped the poems?

No.

[Essan]

The poems are worth trying

The Road goes ever on and on

Down from the door where it began.

Now far ahead the Road has gone,

And I must follow, if I can,

Pursuing it with eager feet,

Until it joins some larger way

Where many paths and errands meet.

And whither then? I cannot say.

 

Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate,

And though I oft have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon, East of the Sun.

 

 

[PetrusOctavianus]

I think Tolkien's "silly" poems were meant to be sung, and they probably are much more effective that way than as poems. I like Errantry, though, and the version in LoTR is just about the only poem I don't skip when reading that book.

Of the more serious stuff I like the Lays of Beleriand.

[Darth Richard II]

There are recordings of Tolkien singing/reciting some of them.