The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - What should I write about? (regarding Tolkien)

Nar · 04-10-2002, 08:25 PM

dragongirlG--

You don't want a topic where you can stack up points endlessly, but it never comes together in a conclusion-- and you don't want something where there's not enough info for anything to be decided.

I would tackle the songs and poetry in The Lord of the Rings. That's a limited amount of text. The songs and poetry were very important to Tolkien-- it's one of the reasons he wrote the book.

There are built-in categories--

Hobbit songs, including those comic songs that Pippin was afraid to sing for Denethor (we'll never know, but I'll bet they were good) and Sam's song in Mordor

Elvish songs and poems, including Aragorn's, Sam's, and Bilbo's translations and real elvish poems like those 'O Elbereth Gilthoniel' chants

the Chants, Songs and battle-rhymes of the Rohirrim

the song Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas sing for Boromir (not sure what category this should be in-- does it go with Elves or Men/Rohan? Tell me if you figure it out.)

Gimli's poem of Khazad-Dum-- and what about what Galadriel quotes at him about Moria when they're all in Lorien?

-- you can check what purpose each group uses their songs/poems for, and see where that leads you.

If you really want to impress your teacher, find Tolkien's Letters in a bookstore and skim it (or buy it and skim it)-- reading the author's letters for clues to what he/she meant to do is one of those grad student type things to do. Tolkien was good at explaining himself and his stories-- particularly in the second half of the Letters, where he was answering all sorts of questions on The Lord of the Rings.

04-10-2002, 08:25 PM	#5
Nar Wight Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 228	dragongirlG-- You don't want a topic where you can stack up points endlessly, but it never comes together in a conclusion-- and you don't want something where there's not enough info for anything to be decided. I would tackle the songs and poetry in The Lord of the Rings. That's a limited amount of text. The songs and poetry were very important to Tolkien-- it's one of the reasons he wrote the book. There are built-in categories-- Hobbit songs, including those comic songs that Pippin was afraid to sing for Denethor (we'll never know, but I'll bet they were good) and Sam's song in Mordor Elvish songs and poems, including Aragorn's, Sam's, and Bilbo's translations and real elvish poems like those 'O Elbereth Gilthoniel' chants the Chants, Songs and battle-rhymes of the Rohirrim the song Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas sing for Boromir (not sure what category this should be in-- does it go with Elves or Men/Rohan? Tell me if you figure it out.) Gimli's poem of Khazad-Dum-- and what about what Galadriel quotes at him about Moria when they're all in Lorien? -- you can check what purpose each group uses their songs/poems for, and see where that leads you. If you really want to impress your teacher, find Tolkien's Letters in a bookstore and skim it (or buy it and skim it)-- reading the author's letters for clues to what he/she meant to do is one of those grad student type things to do. Tolkien was good at explaining himself and his stories-- particularly in the second half of the Letters, where he was answering all sorts of questions on The Lord of the Rings.