Poetry of J.R.R. Tolkien: Middle Earth Word Count 4,159
Copyright Sarah McNutt December 11, 2008, at 06:03 PM
J.R.R. Tolkien’s use of prose and poetry intermingled with text separates his writings from other works of fiction created during the 20th century. The distinct voices of his characters are developed and presented best to the reader in the form of poetry and song. Tolkien’s gift as a writer, making each poetic style unique and consistent with the associated race, contributes greatly to the overall success of his life’s work, The Lord of the Rings. This paper will discuss the significance of each type of poetry, which is found in all works concerning Middle Earth, by exploring Tolkien’s poetic styles, influences, literary devices, and analyzing specific poems themselves.
Tolkien uses verse to give each character or society a distinguishing tone and style. Differing from each other in structure, content, word use, and historical origin, Tolkien’s choice of prose confirms what he has already described about his characters and their cultural roots. While there is no indication of local dialects or accents in his writings (besides the two tongues of the elves Quenya and Sindarin), Tolkien’s collection of characters in the Fellowship come from a variety of far flung places, places that have their own cultures and traditions (Hostetter 2). Rather than simply telling the reader this Tolkien demonstrates this diversity most completely through poetry, showing us that what can be concluded about the poems also applies the culture.
To better understand Tolkien’s poetry it is necessary to have a minimal understanding of the source of his style. Drawing heavily from Anglo-Saxon literature Tolkien chooses a combination of epic poetry and the format of a saga, with influences such as Beowulf and Old Norse-Icelandic literature, to create the structure of The Lord of the Rings. Sagas are what we call accounts of Viking travels and warring, written in prose with entire paragraphs consisting of poems. While clearly abandoning the settings and characters of a traditional saga, Tolkien very closely replicates its structure.
Originally a saga was created from a single ancient poem where a story teller would create a setting and context for the often ambiguous events. As a result the saga would present itself as a script intermittently disrupted by the lines of a poem called “Prosimetrum” (Plelpstead 1). The frequency of poetry is how The Lord of the Rings echoes the configuration of a saga. The “text includes more than eighty poems or verse fragments and only nineteen of the work’s sixty-two chapters contain no verse at all” (Phelpstead 24). In addition sagas present many characters briefly with a small biography that would describe their actions rather than their significance to the main characters, and their complex genealogical ties. J.R.R. Tolkien documented the lineage of each character regardless of whether or not it had an impact on the plot of The Lord of the Rings, Gimli is introduced at the council of Elrond as “Gimli son of Glóin”. The reader may not make the connection that this same Glóin was the one that accompanied Gandalf and Bilbo in The Hobbit. Like in a saga, each individual’s importance is not explained by the narrator but is left to be decided by the reader. Characters such as Tom Bombadil, who simply exists because he does, have questionable importance to the story line (and so are omitted in the films) yet Tolkien introduces him regardless. The word “saga” coincidently is also the Swedish word for fairy-tale.
The contribution of epic poetry to Tolkien’s writing is that the subjects are of heroic figures accomplishing something that greatly impacts the region and culture, in the form of a long narrative poem. Originally epic poems would be shared orally, only later written down to be preserved; because of this the story was told in blocks of equally important events happening simultaneously to each other. The reader was responsible for keeping tract of the timeline and making connections between the separate occurrences. Another source of Tolkien’s that this happens in is the Bible. Each subject is described sequentially with no thought given to the disjointed chronology of the work as a whole.
We see Tolkien emulate this non-chronological form in The Lord of the Rings even though this isn’t necessary in the medium of writing. Unlike the basic means of speech used to dictate sagas and epic poetry, Tolkien incorporates a variety of ways to deliver poems in The Lord of the Rings. Through drinking songs, old wives stories carried down by oral traditions, funerals, warnings written in letters, lyrical speech (in Tom Bombadil’s case), something remembered that is pertinent to current events, and prophecy spoken by a narrator, Tolkien provides the reader with a most diverse pallet of poetry.
In his earliest attempts at poetry J.R.R. Tolkien is said to have had a romantic style, which was still very popular after the Victorian era (Flieger 144). Romanticism in literature emphasizes emotion, powerful feelings, and deep thought. This was unlike the previous period, the enlightenment, which only recognized something to be true if it could be supported by factual evidence. Subjects such as love, life after death, and realm of nature are all very frequently favored topics in Romantic literature.
Tolkien creates many poems of similar content such as “Beren and Luthien” which contain all three motifs (love, death, and nature). Overtime, as Tolkien becomes more aware of traditional Teutonic literature, his poetry is produced in more styles than just the romantic. Growing more diverse as a writer and poet J.R.R. Tolkien makes use of his knowledge of different forms of verse and attaches them to specific classifications of characters to substantiate the various ethnic groups that he has created. The Hobbits for example, have their own exclusive style for reciting poems as does Gandalf, the Eagles, Tom Bombadil, the Elves, Ents, Men, and the creature Gollum. Tolkien has a special talent in creating full characters in every aspect. Much is revealed to the reader about a character from the type of poetry chosen for them. Tolkien had such skill in doing this that many have called him an author-poet, pointing out his dedication in making the poetry of Middle Earth just as important as every other script.
Tolkien’s Hobbits are a very peculiar race; they have peculiar home, peculiar names, peculiar feet, and most of all peculiar poetry. “Reciting or singing verse is for them the most natural way to express their emotions.” (Isaacs 172) Hobbits will use poems for all occasions and moods; they never seem to be lacking a poem to describe any moment. From taking a bath, to describing strange creatures, to drinking or, to leaving for a trip, they never deem any activity too trivial for a poem or song. Hobbits do not create new original poetry; they recall poems from the great inventory taught to them by the Shire community. Because of the isolated nature of their homeland everyone knows the same verses and the tunes to go along with them. To express themselves, which they do quite easily and frequently with poetry, hobbits will make minor changes to it to better suit the mood, perhaps fitting a tune with the words of a different poem to make it more joyful or solemn, or changing the way it’s recited. The lines depending on the way it is vocalized can mean a number of things. Singing it to a melody at bath time rejoices in comfort, put it to an old ditty and it becomes a drinking song, speak it in the plains of Mordor and the verse becomes a bitter sweet memory of the days of innocence lost.
“O! Water cold we may pour at need
down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed:
but better is Beer, if drink we lack,
and Water Hot poured down the back”(I/V)
Bilbo having an entirely different experience then the rest of the shire-folk, is the only hobbit who actively writes new material. Bilbo still teaches it to Frodo and Sam, continuing the tradition of the shire, having put his own spin on it, “The Road goes ever on” is an example of Frodo taking Bilbo’s poems and changing them a bit.(Shippey Author of the Century 189) This poem is originally spoken by Bilbo in “The Hobbit” as he prepares to leave his home for the first time to thwart the dragon Smaug. Frodo reworks Bilbo’s line “Pursuing it with eager feet” to ”weary feet” in order to better express his uneasiness and reluctance to leave the shire when Gandalf summons him (Isaacs 172). The way each hobbit modifies the poem aids the reader in differentiating the personalities of the nephew and uncle. It can be deducted that Bilbo has less attachment to the Shire and has a stronger yearning for adventure and the unknown, while Frodo still clings to the stability of the shire and its nature of being fortified from outside events.
Sam later on tries his hand at creating a new poem as Bilbo is well-known for. His work is an amusing little poem about Tom Bombadil mistaking a Stone troll for a live one. The rhyming is awkward and there are many made up words, but this too serves to make a statement about this particular hobbit. Literary gibberish has roots in old folktales, perhaps they had meaning at one time, but it is perfectly acceptable if they don’t. Nonsensical words are a particular brand of British humor and we see instances of this in a portion of Sam’s poem.(Isaacs 178)
“Troll sat alone on his seat of stone,
And munched and mumbled a bare old bone;
For many a year he had gnawed it near,
For meat was hard to come by.
Done by! Gum by!
In a cave in the hills he dwelt alone,
And meat was hard to come by”.(I/XII)
The lighthearted story he’s telling and the way he tells it makes an otherwise dire situation more tolerable, his character’s role on the journey to Mordor is to accomplish the same for Frodo, who is bearing the burden of the ring.
Like the Shire hobbits, Gandalf has no poetry that is accredited to his authorship. Rather than creating original poetry, he recites poems from a variety of different cultures and times. These recitations are often prompted by the inquires of others, rather than answering a question Gandalf will deliver a verse in response pertaining to the topic, perhaps in the form of a riddle or another question. Gandalf, as an ancient entity, understands that some answers are sensitive to time and must be revealed at the right moment (Prozesky 22). As a result his use of a certain verse may not make any sense to the listener until a certain event has occurred. Though Gandalf’s own perspective remains hidden, the mixture of prose indicates that he is very well traveled in Middle Earth, has great knowledge of many things, and is aware of the ways things must be revealed in due course.
“Ere iron was found or tree was hewn,
When young was mountain under moon;
Ere ring was made, or wrought was woe,
It walked the forests long ago”(III/VIII)
This poem is in response to Theoden’s questioning of the moving trees at Helms Deep, stating that before even the ring was made the walking trees were, alluding that these are above the influences of Saruman (Isaacs 197). Though Gandalf does not know half of what Merry and Pippin have been doing at Isengard yet he would rather let his deductions be confirmed by witnessing the scene himself than to make a judgment too quickly.
The Eagles, though they have a minimal amount of lines, play a significant role in the plot of The Lord of the Rings. The eagle’s very ancient and formal type of prose ties them closely to the earlier ages of Middle Earth and the Valar. Rather than causing events to occur the Valar’s messengers will only step in when absolutely necessary preferring to keep out of the way of fate. Only they are capable of rescuing the main characters when all else has failed. Only in the most dire situations do the Eagles appear, lifting the individuals up into the sky away to safety etc… The subject of fate is a recurring theme found in sagas, and the Eagles continue this with their prophetic speech. In this stanza the Eagle is speaking of the events to come, specifically the ascension of Aragorn to the throne.
“Sing and be glad, all ye children of the west,
For your king shall come again,
and he shall dwell among you
all the days of your life.”(VI/V)
There are obvious similarities between the Eagles speech and certain themes and poetry found in the Bible. If connected with Christianity the reader may draw conclusions between Aragorn and a Messianicfigure. J.R.R. Tolkien’s Catholic influence is directly portrayed in this race of creatures. Psalm 47 of the King James version echos the stanza of the Eagles closest. The book of Pslams is thought to be a compilation of songs and is more entirely poetry.
Psalm 47
“O clap your hands, all ye people;
shout unto God with the voice of triumph.
For the Lord most high is terrible;
he is a great King over all the earth.”
Prophecy in the Bible is addressed as such, God is thought to have perceived the future and told mortals, who deliver this to the people in the form of divine word. It has been questioned by some why Frodo must bear the ring to Mordor where as an Eagle could have simply flown. If we apply the Christian doctrine Frodo must make the journey, in this case physically rather then spiritually, baring the burden and be tested. The final destruction of the ring is important yes, but the journey is as equally important to the growth of the characters.
The entity of Tom Bombadil is in a class of his own, appearing in The Fellowship of the Ring, Tom is one of the most overtly lyrical speakers. A fine example of his verse chosen from Tolkien’s writings displays many of Tom Bombadil’s trademarks.(Le Guin 96)
“Hey! now! Come hoy now! Whither do you wander?
Up, down, near or far, here, there or yonder?
Sharp-ears, wise nose, swish-tail and bumpkin,
White-socks my little lad, and old Fatty Lumpkin!”(I/VIII)
“Sound rather than sense”(Isaacs 180) sums up the style of Tom’s poetry. There are very distinctive rhythms to his words and the way they pass over the tongue is more important than their meaning. Singing in the form of rhyming couplets, his poems are distinctly rhythmic and can be chanted almost like a march. This fits into Tom’s persona because our first impression of him is a walking figure who spends his days roaming the forest. Toms origins are never really explained, and the same vagueness can be found in his verses. He is more interested in sound and beat than subject matter. We deduce there is great power hidden under the non-sensible words of Tom. When Old Man Willow tries to harm the Hobbits Tom merely has to threaten to sing to cause the tree’s submission. Tom is hiding his true identity as an extremely powerful being under a veil of lightheartedness and jovial song. Tom Bombadil also has the ability to rapidly change the tone of a setting, after he revives the Hobbits from certain death it is only a moment before he switches back to his jovial manner. Even when the lines spoken by Tom Bombadil are less playful with rhyme and energy and textually less remarkable the reader may still perceive a rhythm to Tom’s words. “I’ve got thing to do, my making, my singing, my talking, and my walking, and my watching of the country. Tom can’t always be near open doors and willow-cracks. Tom has his house to mind, and Goldberry is waiting”(I/VIII)
There is a noticeable distinction in how the entity of the Elves is discussed and separated from the rest of the world. The Elves make known to the other creatures their boundless love of Music and Song (Isaacs 183). Their enthusiasm preserves the oral history of Middle Earth and marks the Elvish race’s crucial role in it. The Elvish race is the embodiment of Tolkien’s naturalist side, thus it only makes sense that the theme of their poems, aside from history, is Nature. (Shippey Road to Middle Earth 354). The Elvish brand of poetry is especially interesting because of the sound effects that are created by the use of certain words and repeating consonants. Euphony is a term used to describe a pleasing harmony of sounds and Onomatopoeia designates a word that sounds like the noise it describes. Tolkien uses both of these devices frequently in Elvish poetry also his word choice usually revolves around light, brightness, life, and growth, which also contrasts with the darkness and decay of the rest of Middle Earth. The poem speaks of a free spirit moving lightly through space, the only sharp consonants in the verse originating from the sound of “t”. The rest are soft and smoothly flow together. We also see natural elements included like “leaf” and “linden-tree”. This poem specifically is a good example of how the elves employ the sounds of the words used to enforce the mood.
“Her hair was long, her limbs were white,
And fair she was and free;
And in the wind she went as light
As leaf of linden-tree.” (II/VI)
The Ents repetition of phrases in one statement, archaic style, and long winded sentences perfectly suited to their longevity (Fleiger 191). Where most poetry in The Lord of the Rings has about 6 syllables per line, Entish poetry has 14 syllables. Tolkien’s large tree beings must have huge lung capacity; one breath to them is a couple to a man. Proportionally speaking, it suits the Ents better to use long lines.
“O rowan fair, upon your hair how white the blossom lay!
O rowan mine, I saw you shine upon a summer’s day.” (III/IV)
This passage from The Two Towers displays the repetitive cycle used by the Ent Bregalaf who mourns the loss of the special Rowan tree given to the Entwives. He laments “O rowan” many times much like you would find in pastoral verse. The poetry of the Bible, though it does not have rhyme or line measure most often uses the repetition of a word or phrase to mark the beginning or end of a line. For an Ent to do this would make the listeners job easier in distinguishing where the Ent is stopping and beginning in their long verses.
Poetry to Tolkien is the natural way for a character to express a strong emotion. Though the Men of Gondor and Rohan have many cultural differences their use of song in this manner is just as frequent. In The Two Towers though they had “no books,” the men of Rohan were known to sing “many songs after the manner of the children of Men before the Dark Years.”(Jorgensen 9) Likewise the Men of Gondor would have special songs to be performed on formal occasions, such as a funeral or coronation. Mary Kelly in her essay on the “Poetry of Fantasy” implies that this song from Aragorn as grand style of classical poetry(Isaacs 195). Grand Manner refers to anything greatly influenced by classical art that incorporates many elements that were thought to have noble qualities. The race of men, though fallible, is recognized by others for their honorable deeds. Aragorn is lamenting the death of Boromir and feels that a eulogy in the form of song would be the best way to honor one of the Fellowship.
“Beneath Amon Hen I heard this cry. There many foes he fought.
His cloven shield, his broken sword, they to the Water brought.
His head so proud, his face so fair, his limbs they laid to rest;
And Rauros, golden Rauros, bore him upon its breast.”(III/I)
The following poem from Rohan is catagorised under the style of Ubi Sunt (latin for “Where’s?”). This is when the speaker of the poem asks rhetorically “where has or is…”
“Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?”(III/VI)
Ubi Sunt is almost always connected with the tale of Beowulf and other ancient texts like it. The Epic of Beowulf’s pourpose was to praise the honorable actions of a human hero figure within the moral code of his culture. Likewise Tolkien wants the poems from the race of men to reflect the finer qualities of humanity and what they have accomplished despite the weaknesses of their kind.
Gollum (the most pitiful of creatures) passes through Tolkien’s works with almost childlike one-mindedness. His speech is simple and limited when interacting with others but the majority of the time he is talking to himself. Gollum vocalizes his stream of consciousness. What should be internalized is externalized, most likely because of spending so much time alone he is unable to distinguish the difference between thinking and speaking aloud. As a result his songs are disconnected and have little structure. The character talks in an adolescent manner which contrasts greatly with his malicious intents, the scene at the pool of Henneth Annun presents him singing in his usual way.
“Fissh, nice fish. Makes us strong.
Makes eyes bright, fingers tight yes.
Throttle them, precious. Throttle them all,
yes, if we gets chances.
Nice fissh. Nice fissh!” (IV/VI)
Repetition here, as with the Ents, is something often found in Old Testament poetry, however its function in this instance is different. Gollum often applies this repetition while speaking but not to signify where he stops and starts. Rather it is plausible that because of Gollum’s dual nature, Smegol vs. Gollum, the repetition of the thought illustrates how he functions as a double entity. For a similar reason he talks in the third person, using words such as “us” and “we” instead of I. Tolkien uses many literary devices to execute his poems and chooses from a great variety of formats and verse. One such style, light verse, is distinguished by its humor, brief wordplay, and good use of rhythm and alliteration. Light verse is most successful, according to some, when used to describe a dark situation because of the contrast of humor and seriousness of subject (Fleiger 143). We see examples of this in the Hobbits song in the Fellowship of the Ring
“We must away: We must away!
We ride before the break of day!”(I/V)
After such enthusiastic singing, Pippin asks, after just volunteering to accompany Frodo to Rivendell, “Do you really mean to start before the break of day?” (Isaacs 175).
Another style Tolkien employs, that has not yet been discussed, are “lays” as in “The Lays of Beleriand” A lay is characterized by a long narrative, usually sung, having rhyming couplets. In “rhyming couplets” the lines of the poem are paired together and each pair has the same meter and repeats a similar sound. The lays are particularly predominant in elvish literature and can be found the stories of “Beren and Luthien” and “The Tale of the Children of Hurin”
“Not Morgoth’s might nor meed nor torment
them vowed, availed to reveal that lore;
yet lights and lamps of living radiance,
many and magical, they made for him.
No dark could dim them the deeps wandering;
whose lode they lit was lost seldom
in groundless grot, or gulfs far under. “
In this example, each line has three sounds that are repeated creating a Triple Alliterative verse (also common in sagas), such devices regulate the rhythm and speed in which the passage is read or recited.(Rosebury 97)
J.R.R. Tolkien has assembled a diverse portfolio of poetry displaying substantial knowledge in ancient literature and the study of poetics. The author’s poems may vary in importance but all found in The Lord of the Rings have contributed in some way. Some poems function to mark special events or occurrences important to the plot, while others simply exist to embellish individuals. Through poetry Tolkien enhances the expansive world of Middle Earth and its inhabitants. Rather than relying solely on the descriptions given by the author in the passages, the reader may study also the poems to gain a greater appreciation of the characters. Tolkien’s verses are not difficult to understand, as some in other poetry may be, and the language used directly relates to the subject. The straight forward manner in which these poems are presented makes it simple for the reader to draw conclusions. The writer’s poems and songs serve to tell the audience something of where each character or race has come from and what their purpose is in the scheme of things. The impeccable attention to detail and connections to the early ages of Middle Earth illustrates the lengths J.R.R. Tolkien used poetry to create not only round full-bodied characters, but a believable world for them to inhabit.
Poetry of Middle Earth Works Cited
