Poem parodies

[Evisse the Blue]

Well, we have song parodies to Middle Earth, character's theme songs, so why not poetry too?

So take a poem (or part of a poem, that would be much easier) and play with it to make it fit a character, a scene, something from Middle Earth! Here's what I came up with when I came across the poem "Fair Ines" by Thomas Hood. (Of course it was the line 'She's gone into the West' that started this whole idea ).

The original:
Oh! saw ye not fair Ines?
She's gone into the West,
To dazzle when the sun is down,
And rob the world of rest.
She took our daylights with her,
The smiles that we love best,
With morning blushes on her cheek
And pearls upon her breast (Thomas Hood)

Now this is Gimli's lament:
Oh! saw ye not Galadriel?
She's gone into the West,
She set off in the setting sun,
And robbed the world of rest;
She took our daylights with them,
The beauty we love best,
With songs beneath the starry skies,
And jewels on her breast.

[Shelob]

Even if all others should later disagree, I at least like this idea. I like poems (well, writing poems at least) more than songs so this thread was just whispering in my ear "Respond, c'mon you know you want to." the entire time I was trying to do my work (so, in short, 'Thank You For Saving Me!')

Actually this was harder than I thought it would be, but I ended up using The Christina Rossetti poem Remember and thinking of it in terms of the Hobbits parting when Frodo goes into the Grey Havens.

The original poem:
Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

My Version (feel free to correct grammar...especially the use of punctuation):
Remember me when I have crossed the sea
When I have crossed into that distant land
When here in shadow you think that you stand
Know that I have gone so you might be free
Like deep in the forest that single tree,
That cannot be felled by a mortal hand,
shall rise forever as mighty and grand
As the friendship that binds my soul to thee.

And if in time you no longer recall
And if the memories fade away then
So you no longer recall the times when
Every joy and honour we could, we knew
Fear not that I shall, from my kingly hall,
Think less of you, I know your heart is true.



Once again, Thank you for this thread...it promises to keep me entertained for ages (and gives me an excuse to read poety...an added bonus!)...and I hope it attracts more than just us two.

[Evisse the Blue]

Ok, here's a new one:

This time a poem by Byron. I managed to modify only the last stanza, so here it is:

Original version:

From the wreck of the past, which hath perished,
Thus much I at least may recall:
It hath taught me that which I most cherished
Deserved to be dearest of all.
In the desert a fountain is springing,
In the wide waste there still is a tree,
And a bird in the solitude singing,
Which speaks to my spirit of thee.

My version: (This can be from Frodo or Sam's POV)

From the wreck of the past, which hath perished,
Thus much I at least can recall:
It hath taught me that Hope that I cherished
Deserved to be dearest of all.
Golden flowers still dwell in the meadow,
In Gondor there grows a White Tree.
And a star brightly piercing the shadow,
Says that Beauty forever shall be.

[Bêthberry]

If I may, I shall take up Evisse the Blue 's wonderful Poem Parody thread and apply it not to Tolkien's Middle-earth but to our own perilous realm, our Barrow Downs forum. I hope Evisse won't deem this off-topic! (I don't know how I missed this thread when she started it, but searching over old pages of forums certainly shows I've missed several good threads. Here's to their resurrection also as time warrants!)

The Red Wheelbarrow
by William Carlos Williams

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chicken



And now for something completely different, as they say...



The Green-knived Barrow
by WC Quilläms

so much pretends
upon

a green-knived
barrow

glazed with cryptic
posts

astride the black
screen


I'm still tinkering a bit with the scansion of 'posts' and 'screen' so I might be back to edit. I would really like to have similar word breaks like wheel/barrow and rain/water.

[Orofarne]

Sorry if this isn't too good.

Original: Robert Frost's The Road not Taken
______________________________
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Mine: Samwise Gamgee's The Funeral Not Attended
__________________________________
Two friends diverged near a Golden Wood,
And sorry I could not attend to both
And be one Hobbit, long I stood
And stared at one as long as I could
To where he died in the undergrowth;

Then followed the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Beacause Gandalf told me to follow him there;
Though, as for that the orders there
Had been really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
Near woods orc feet had trodden black
Oh, I kept Boromir for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged near a Wood and I--
I took the one that leads to the Eye,
And that has made all the difference.


Sorry Mr. Frost, Mr. Tolkien, but I hope you both understand.

[Galadriel55]

That poem is MAGNIFICENT! I wish I could write so well!

[Galadriel55]

The original (by The Beatles) - Blackbird

Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these broken wings and learn to fly.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.
Blackbird, fly! Blackbird, fly! Into the light of the dark black night.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night...
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see.
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird, fly! Blackbird, fly! Into the light of the dark black night.



I made two versions:

Gandalf to Saruman

Orthanc's standing in a puddle of mud...
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see:
There's no way
You will solve your problem by yourself - without me.
Saruman, Saruman, your voice lost it's power, so don't play, please!

Orthanc's standing in a puddle of mud...
Use your once wise brain and learn to think!
Come down here,
I will save your skin and I swear I will let you free!
Think again, Saruman. You are not as clever as you sure hope to be.


Morgoth to Hurin Thalion

Hurin, look! Your fate is in my hands!
Through my evil eyes I'll make you see
Everything!
Except for truth and goodness not a thing shall hide from thee!
Go one laugh, if you dare! Your silent suffering will amuse me.

There are no more sad and bad things that
With your laughing eyes you did not see;
Now, go on!
I bet you were waiting for this moment. Now you're free!
Hurin, leave, Hurin, go, into the darkness of Middle-Earth!

[Galadriel55]

This is not a parody, but something I made up, as you can say, on a stoke of inspiration . I thought this is the best thread for it, though.


"Wandering Star"

Onen i-Estel Edain,
U-chebin estel anim.
Though I'm not that old, I am dying,
A premature death it may seem,

Yet here I've completed my purpose,
And soon will come my time to go.
My son, you shall be rejoicing,
But I see no light in the woe.

Though I'm not that old, I am dying.
Son, Aragorn, bid me good-bye!
"Farewell, dear mother, Gilraen!
The Wandering Star shall rise high!"

I've given hope to the West-Men,
But for myself - no. I'm too grieved.
And though I have no hope left,
Of love and faith am not bereaved.

Men of Westernesse are also mortal,
Though long-lived and mighty they're deemed.
Onen i-Estel Edain,
U-chebin estel anim.


So? What do you think? I'm not too good with sticking to the rythm, am I?

[Galadriel55]

A slightly exaggerated version of Elrond, to the tune of "Seasons of Love"


Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred stories,
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Years of life.
Five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred stories
Some are of happiness, others of strife.

Of darkness, betrayal, of hope lost
And recollected,
Of friendship, of beauty, of laughter, of light.

Of five hundred twenty-five thousand
Six hundred stories
From which hobbits learn about
Weakness and might.

How about love?
How about love?
How about love? Stories of love.

Great tales of love. Great tales of love.