Into the Wardrobe

I just got it in the mail! Anybody else read the Lays of Beleriand?
It's entirely made up of poetry, most of them quite long.

Lay of the Children of Hurin
Flight of the Noldoli
Lay of Earendel
Lay of the Fall of Gondolin
Lay of Leithian (Beren and Luthian)

I adore Tolkien's poetry. He has such rich wording.

I bought my copy two years ago (along with the Lost Tales, and The Shaping of Middle Earth). I got through most of the (exquisite!) poems, but CT's annotations are sometimes tedious. It has some gems, though, as I'm sure you will discover when you next visit Narrowthrode.

So Luthien, so Luthien,
a liar like all Elves and Men!
Yet welcome. welcome to my hall!
I have a use for every thrall!
What news of Thingol in his hole
shy lurking like a timid vole?
What folly fresh is in his mind,
who cannot keep his offspring blind
from straying thus? Or can devise
no better counsel for his spies?

The Lays of B is my favorite of the XII Histories of Middle-Earth. I also think it the most important volume because ancient poetry was the inspiration and motivation for the Silmarillian & LOTR, especially Beowulf, the Volsunga Saga, and the poetic Edda.
I noticed no one mentioned the delightful critique by Lewis which Christopher included at the back of the Lays.

Ha! I forgot we had this thread already!

Anyway, I am re-reading the Lays of Beleriand, b/c I don't really think I got all the way through the first time. All I read was the Lay of the Children of Hurin last time. Now I'm midway through the Lay of Leithian. Canto VII to be exact.

I'm skipping all the commentary. I just can't enjoy the beauty of the poetry if I get bogged down in the extras and the revisions and all that.

Here's a favorite bit of the story of King Felagund...

"Hearing these words there swiftly stood
beside him ten tried warriors good,
men of his house who had ever fought
wherever his banners had been brought.
One stooped and lifted up his crown...."

I just love that picture of warriors coming forth, true and courageous and pure and loyal to their king.

And I'll try to squeeze in a review of the Lays because it's been five years since I last read it. Usually when I review Tolkien I end up rereading him, but I'm pretty busy just now.

Another favorite bit as I'm looking back over the pages I've just read.

"He gazed, and as he gazed her hair
within its cloudy web did snare
the silver moonbeams sifting white
between the leaves, and glinting bright
the tremulous starlight of the skies
was caught and mirrored in her eyes."

So lovely. It's like every word and image fits in perfectly to create this .... something.... something beautiful. Real poetry.
Not the fake stuff we sometimes read. Not something forced, or trying too hard to rhyme.

I've finished it finally. I've just been reading bits and pieces here and there before bed in between reading 3 or 4 other novels.
Here are some of my favorite passages or just phrases that caught my eye:

Line 2646- The silences were sudden shivered to silver fragments.

Line 3133- Each star there stared in stony night radiant, glistering cold and white.

Line 3230-
One morning as asleep she lay
Upon the moss, as though the day
too bitter were for gentle flower
to open in a sunless hour,
Beren arose and kissed her hair,
and wept, and softly left her there.


Line 3250-
His silver armies on the green
his horses white, his lances keen;
his helmets tall of steel were hewn,
his shields were shining as the moon.
There trumpets sang both long and loud
and challenge rang unto the cloud.


Line 3263- ...till in confusion vast the stars were choked.


Line 3576- ...and Ringil drew like ice that gleameth cold and blue, his sword devised of elvish skill to pierce the flesh with deadly chill.

Line 3605-3608
...the mighty foot pale Ringil clave
about the heel, and black the blood
gushed as from smoking found in flood.
Halt goes for ever from that stroke
great Morgoth...


Line 4183- ...together fled they, by the beat affrighted of their flying feet.

In the Flight of the Noldoli From Valinor the fell Feanor unwittingly serves Morgoth's purposes by defying the Valar and exacerbating their alienation. His war cry for the Silmarils prefigures the vengeance and greed for Sauron's Ring, and forebodes a sadly familiar human weakness.

From line 82~

Thus the witless wisdom its reward hath earned
of the Gods' jealousy, who guard us here
to serve them, sing to them in our sweet cages,
to contrive them gems and jewelled trinkets,
their leisure to please with our loveliness,
while they waste and squander work of ages,
nor can Morgoth master in their mansions sitting
at countless councils. Now come ye all,
who have courage and hope! My call harken
to flight, to freedom in far places!