Between the Verses of Tolkien

“It is elvish, light hearted, quick worded and over soon…” says Treebeard to Merry and Pippin of poetry when telling them the tale of the Entwives. Some would disagree with the last bit, even perhaps skimming over the verses which can be found within the story. But when one skips the poetry, one might say one is skipping parts of the story itself.

Tolkien’s poetry is more than ditties and sonnets thrown into a great story merely to embellish it. Instead, when reading the poems, one can sense the feeling of an ancient history. As when Sam recites the tale of Gil-galad or Legolas sings the tale of Nimrodel, one can easily imagine that these poems were written or based on poems written in the early days of Middle-earth, remembered through the ages.

But the poems serve another purpose as well. Tolkien uses poetry to give insights into his characters, their moods, and their feelings. Whether it is through a poem that the character composed, or merely chose to recite, a small window into a depth of Tolkien’s characters is visible in a way that cannot be achieved by mere description or dialog. One can agree that it would not have been the same if Sam had simply stated in dialog that he would miss Gandalf’s fireworks instead of inventing a poem to say that same thing, but with an endearing quality.

While one can skip over the poems in order to expedite reading of the trilogy without seriously hurting one’s enjoyment, one will be missing an element of Tolkien’s world. But Tolkien’s work is not something which should be rushed through. It should be savoured, taken slowly, and read with the attitude that one might take when reading a legend. The poetry is only one of the qualities that adds to this air and makes the trilogy feel deeply of an old and rich culture.

by shirehobbit