There and Back Again

...And What Happened After. The Tale of the Great Ring, compiled by Bilbo Baggins from his own observations and the accounts of his friends. What we did in the War of the Ring as seen by the Little People."


May. 14, 2007

The Grammar Of Poetry

 

Legolas and I have recently taken the position of Poetry Moderators for Poet's Treehouse over at the HSB Backyard.   The rules will soon be posted up at the Backyard and you can learn the details about submitting your poetry to us there.   In honor of this event, I have decided to post a little "tutorial" on how to write poetry.  Hopefully this will be helpful to some of you!

 

Poetry, like every other kind of art, has a form.  It has rules and reasons and a particular routine. Today, many people are forgetting this.  They think poetry is just some genius quality that a few people have and the rest of us must live without.  It is true that some people are naturally gifted at writing poetry but all of us can be good at it if we really want to. 

 

I am reading a book this year called “The Grammar Of Poetry” written by Matt Whitling.  It speaks of the different forms of poetry and covers the basic rules that apply to all poetry.  Knowing these rules has really helped me to write better poetry and even to enjoy other people’s poetry better.  The book actually goes into quite a bit of detail but the points that have been the most helpful to me are these:

 

For different types of poetry, different orders of stresses are used.  In poetry scanning (going over a poetical work to determine what meter and rhyme scheme was used) each accented syllable is marked with a stress symbol, a little slash above the accented syllable.  An unaccented syllable is marked with a breve, a mark shaped like an upside-down half moon and placed above the unaccented syllable.  The three forms of poetry that I have read about so far are iambic, trochaic and anapestic.                               

 

In iambic poetry, the second syllable is accented but not the first.  An example of a piece of iambic poetry is Tennyson’s “The Eagle,” which begins like this: (I have put the accented syllables in bold type so that you can see where the stresses are)

 

“He clasps the crag with crooked hands

Close to the sun in lonely lands…

 

Trochaic meter is the exact opposite of iambic meter- in trochaic meter the stress is on the first syllable, and the second syllable is unaccented.  An example of trochaic poetry is this line from Chesterton’s dedication in the Ballad Of The White Horse.

 

 “…Carrying the firelight on your face,

Beyond the loneliest star.”

 

Anapestic meter is formed with two unaccented syllables and then one accented one.  An example of anapestic poetry is Lord Byron’s  “The Destruction Of Sennacharib” which begins like this:

 

“The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold

And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold…”

 

Dactylic meter is the exact opposite of Anapestic meter.  It is a combination of of three syllables- the first is accented and the second and third are not.  An example of dactylic poetry is this

 

Hail to the chief who in triumph advances,

Honored and blest be the evergreen pine!

 

The best way to write good poetry, though, is not to memorize a bunch a grammar rules but to READ poetry.  Although learning about poetical grammar and forms is helpful, the most important thing is to read the works of other poets.  This is crucial for providing the vision and inspiration necessary for writing good poetry.  (Some of my personal favorites are Alfred Lord Tennyson, Emily Dickinson, and Gilbert Keith Chesterton.)  When you read a poet, concentrate on their style and what subjects they generally focus on.  Try to get a feel for what the poet is like- their worldview and life.  A good way to write poetry is to first read a poem written by another poet and then, with the meter still in your mind, to try and write your own poem about a different subject but using the same meter.  Maybe you could try to identify the meter too.

 

However you decide to study poetry, remember that it is meant to be enjoyed!

-Frodo

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May. 11, 2007

The Spirit of Fire


This is a poem that I wrote recently and I decided I would share it with you on my blog.  

 

THE SPIRIT OF FIRE      Dedicated To Alatariel

 

Of Feanor
In the golden days of Tirion,
The Elven-city of the sea
In the golden days of the Blessed Light
The Trees still shone and the stars were white
And all of the world was fair and free.

 

There was born of Miriel
Upon the hill of Valinor
Curufinwe, the Spirit of Fire
And he was the son of her heart’s desire
And she called him Feanor.

 

But the strength and life of Miriel
Passed to her beloved son
Her spirit was silently borne away
And great was the sorrow of Curufinwe
And he wept alone in Tirion.

 

Then Feanor sought solitude
And he labored and learned alone,
He gained the knowledge of many things
And the understanding that wisdom brings
And he was the heir of the Elven-throne

 

 
Of Nerdanel
The years passed on in Valinor
And Feanor wandered in the evening
On the shores of the sea his eyes beheld
The beautiful image of Nerdanel
And a song of Valinor was she singing.

 

And he watched her dance in the pale star-light,
Her tresses swirled in the rushing winds
And she was fair beyond all words
But on that night doom fell on her
And silently she came to him.

 

And as the dawn of Laurelin shone,
Feanor rose and clasped her hand,
Before her knelt and kissed her brow
And he set upon it a silver crown;
But later that crown was lost in the sand.

 

Of The Silmarils  
Upon Valmar was Telperion
The Elder Tree of divine light,
The first of the works of Kementari
That shone with light of the silver sea
And covered the land in radiance white.

 

Also was there Laurelin
And she was blessed by Elbereth

Fair was her golden crown of light
And fair were her beams that pierced the Night
Before her beauty was marred by Death.

 

But ever was the heart of Feanor
Troubled with a sense of great unrest
A thought that in ages yet to come
The work of Yavanna should be undone
And the Light of the Trees forever be lost.

 

In secret he forged three glorious gems
Unsurpassed, three wonderful vessels
In them imprisoned the Light of the Trees
More fair than the stars on the western seas
And he called them Silmarils.

 

He placed them high upon his brow
And bore them in pride in Valinor
And he showed them forth that all might see
And they were hallowed by Elentari
And he cherished them the more.


Of The Unchaining Of Melkor
Now it came to pass in Valinor
That Three Ages of Doom came to a close
The Three Ages of the doom of Bauglir Melkor
And he was released from Angainor;
Came forth from the Judgment Halls of Mandos.

 

And in Valmar, before Taniquetil
Came Melkor from the Halls of Doom
And sued for pardon before Manwe’s throne
And feigned sorrow for the evil done
And for Middle-earth, laid in ruin.

 

And Nienna aided his deceitful prayer
Unaware of the purpose of his thought
And Manwe hearkened to his words
And his promises to heal the world
And thus his freedom Melkor bought.

 

Then Melkor went free in Valinor
And wove dark evil into his speech 
And Curufinwe, in all his might
Fell prey to Melkor’s hidden lies
And in him woke a yearning to be free.

 

Thus Feanor hearkened to Melkor’s words
And his heart grew bitter and proud
And he forged for himself a deadly sword
First of the weapons in Valinor
And he fell into shadow.

 

And Curufinwe spoke of rebellion
And battle against the Powers
He spoke of the freedom of the Northern Night
Of the dark wild lands beyond the Light;
Of cities and strongholds and towers.

 

Of The Death Of The Trees
Then Melkor lusted for the Silmarils
And coveted them from afar
But Feanor perceived his mind
And closed his doors on the Lord of Night

And Melkor went from Valinor. 

 

Hidden deep in the northern cliffs
Ungoliant the Great dwelt in the dark
To her Melkor came in the dead of night
Wove about them an evil Unlight
And in secret they came unto Valmar.

 

Then Melkor drew forth his black spear
And pierced the Trees of Valinor
And their blood flowed onto the Ring of Doom
And their light was quenched and laid in ruin.
And Melkor fled to Middle-earth.

 

But his Darkness went first to Formenos
And he slew there Finwe, Elven-lord
And the Silmarils he took for his own
But in his dark hand the Light yet shone
And he set them in his Iron Crown
And Feanor cursed him and named him Morgoth.

 

Thus Night came upon the Blessed Realm
And Tirion fell into Darkness
And Valmar sank in a sea of fear
And Nienna washed the ground with her tears
And the Shadow entered the West.

 

Of The Fall Of Feanor
Then anger overcame Curufinwe
And he went in wrath to Tirion
And the Seven Sons of Feanor
Swore an oath of eternal war
Against Man and Elf and immortal Valar
Who withheld from them the Silmarils.

 

They summoned to witness Illuvatar
And Mandos and Manwe both
And Elbereth, Queen of Stars
And called on themselves Everlasting Dark
If they failed to fulfill their Oath.

 

Thus in the madness of their wrath
And the folly of their anger
They set to pursue Morgoth Bauglir
And wrest from his grasp the Silmarils
Defying Valar and Valier.

 

And so it was the Noldor came,
Through the vastness of the waters
Came to the land of Middle-earth
Immersed in Darkness since its day of birth
The Darkness of the Great Lord.

 

And they hoisted their banners in the wind
And sounded their silver horns,
And Lammoth echoed their battle cry
And their spears shone like stars against the sky
As they marched into the North.

 

Then driven by the fire of his wrath
Curufinwe passed o’er the plain
Passed over the plain like the Jaws of Death
Swift as the winds of Manwe’s breath,
And his foes fled before his name.

 

He came to the Gates of Angband
And struck the iron doors
And forth from the gates came a spirit of flame
Gothmog the Great, Curufinwe’s bane
Went forth to do battle with the Elven-lord.

 

Long they fought before Angband
And Curufinwe fought as one that is fey
And he strove against fire and shadow
Driven by his anger and his sorrow
And many fell beneath his blade.

 

But on that night doom fell on him
And at the last he was stricken down
Curufinwe, Feanor
Fell before the Shadow Lord
And he was cast upon the ground. 

 

And there he ended, lost in darkness,
Far from the Hill of Valinor
Curufinwe, Spirit of Fire
And he was the slave of his heart’s desire,
Thrice accursed, Feanor.

 

And lost are the days of Tirion,
Elven-city of the sea,
Lost are the days of the Blessed Light
When the Trees still shone and the stars were white
And all of the world was fair and free.

 

- Legolas

 

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Apr. 16, 2007

Maglor And Silmarillion Summary

 

 

I finished reading the Silmarillion recently.  I enjoyed it very much, though it was riddled with tragedy.  Tolkien made some very good points in the book and, though the tale is full of sub-plots, I think that the main story-line is the Fate Of The Noldor and what they got out of life.  They were so intent on defeating the Darkness of Morgoth  (and regaining their Silmarils) that they missed the whole reason for the war.  (The book, of course, is packed with deep ideas and this is only one)  I wrote a poem trying to capture the way Maglor felt at the end of the book when he is sitting by the seashore and has thrown the last Silmaril into the sea. 

 

 

                        Maglor

In the chill of the morning when stars no more shine

And the night has been swallowed in cold dawn divine,

By the side of the waters that roll from the deeps

There is one sitting yet and he silently weeps.

 

These are tears not for Silmarils vanished and gone

They are not for the lost hopes whose pain will live on-

They are shed not for bitter oaths none will confess

Nor for long, ceaseless wandering -Everlasting Darkness.

 

These are tears for the hopeful hearts crushed by his hand

Tears of longing and grief brought by his own demand-

All his hate for the Darkness- has it come to this?

Or perhaps there was something that somebody missed.

 

-Written by Frodo

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Jul. 31, 2006

Poetry Tips

              I like poetry because it turns literature into music.  It makes the words sing with rhythm and it dresses them up with color because poetry is so descriptive.  It moves me more than prose (plain words).  It can make me cry or sing and it always makes me think.

             Niki asked for some tips on writing poetry so I am posting a little bit about my own experiences with poets and poetry in the past. Hopefully this can be of some assistance.

             When I was younger and in first, second, third and fourth grade, I read from a different poet's works each term of school. I ONLY read that poet’s works and then I chose my favorite poem to memorize.  Some of my favorites were Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sarah Teasdale, Emily Dickinson, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. I didn’t study poetry at all.  I just read one poem a day and at the end of the term when exams rolled around, I wrote my own poem in the style of one of the poets that I had studied that year. This helped me to recognize how each poet has a very different style. I began to learn how to pick out the styles of each poet so that I could tell it apart from another poet. This gave me a good understanding of the works of other poets. I would recommend that anyone who wants to write poetry, should spend time reading the poems of others so that they can become familiar with different styles.

            Another thing I would recommend is simply practice. It is true that "practice makes perfect." I wrote many poems while I was young and so I learned to improve myself as I grew. I still write many poems and practice a lot. I hope that with practice I can become a much better poet than I am now.  I have my own poetry journal.  It is small and I can take it outside or wherever I go so that when I am inspired by something, I can write my thoughts down right away, so I don’t forget them. I think that poetry is an attempt we make to put thoughts or inspirations on paper and so it really takes an inspiration to write a really good poem.

 

Frodo

 

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Jun. 26, 2006

War

 

As England the Spanish Armada laid low,

And sunk and battered Philip’s fleet,

So today is a war raging silent and slow,

Soon the two greatest powers will meet.

Alexander the Great cut the Gordian Knot,

And thus found the clue to Persia,

But the door to salvation is easier locked,

To open it takes a man of more courage.

Marco Polo, the wonderful Asia found,

And found more than he thought he would see,

But to travel the Universe forty times round,

Would only be half of God’s Sea.

 

 -Written by Legolas

 

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Jun. 16, 2006

"I Am From..." (a poem by Legolas)

 

I Am From

I am from the clash of swords,
The sting of darts, the spray of rocky waterfalls

From the mist of mountains in the clouds,
From the silver rain lighted by the moon I have come.

I am from a hoard of treasured fantasies,
A million magical worlds combined in one,

From the highest branches of the tallest trees,
From summer sun heating hazelnut bushes I have come.

I am from swirling flakes of snow falling to and fro
A frosty night spotted with stars.

From sad memories of beautiful faces lost in the night,
From icy tears falling in a dark land I have come.

I am from a heart that aches when I hear
The cry of many suffering children.

I am from an imagination running free and wild and untamed
Through the darkness, over the mountains.

-Legolas

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Jun. 16, 2006

"I Am From..." (a poem by Frodo)

 

 I am from sea spray, picnics on the beach

            and dashing foam on rocks,

From mountain hikes and swift streams

            and flowing rivers.

I am from rainy days and chasing thunderstorms

            at night in the van.

I am from Tennyson's poems on the swing in the forest

From sunshine on my face in August,

            juicy blackberries and ice water.

I am from moonlit walks and jackals

            yelping at the moon,

From the ghostly wails of the call to prayer at night.

I am from little children's' tears and

            a picture on my dresser that makes me cry,

From gypsies with black lonely eyes

            that hurt me inside.

I am from early mornings before the sun is up and

             airports with takeoff and landing.

From roasted chestnuts on Christmas Eve

            And hot chocolate by the stove.

I am from singing on the misty peaks

            Of wooded mountains

From wild winds that let me fly,

            and red roses in my hair.

I am from breakfasts on the balcony with

            pots of petunias and pansies.

I am from a flowered photo album,

            From memories and dreams.

 

     -Written by Frodo

 

 

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May. 24, 2006

The Travels Of Marco Polo

"The Travels Of Marco Polo"

 

In Eastern lands beyond the Sea,

Beyond the horizon waits a dream,

A dream of mystic fantasy.

A fairy tale above reality.

Islands of gold, coated with treasure,

Marvels of the ancients and riches beyond measure;

There are castles and strongholds of wondrous grandeur,

That our bravest explorers have never been through

Beyond the walls of Venice is a world of mystery,

Waiting for travelers, waiting to be seen. 

 

Written by Legolas

 

 

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May. 19, 2006

Augustus Caesar

AUGUSTUS CAESAR

 

He said, " and though the world fall

Ash on fire,

My house will rule them all!"

And that was his desire.

 

He said,  "and though the nations quake,

For mercy at my hand,

Until I my house rules them all

I fight to rule this land!"

 

He said, "and should I die today

Grasping with my last breath,

My house will rule them all

Or I go not to my death."

 

He said, "The world shall never forget,

When I ruled and how,

For my house shall rule them all

Forever starting now."

 

They made him a god when they heard him

A god over the people of Rome

But only a wise man knows

That a house is not a home.

 

And never can houses rule the world

But with an iron hand

To pass away as iron rusts

And sink into the sand.

 

And Great Augustus Caesar,

Boasting of his dreams

Little thought of Life or Love

What kind of a god was he?

 

written by Frodo

 

 

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May. 11, 2006

In Dreams

When the cold of winter comes
Starless night will cover day
In the veiling of the sun
We will walk in bitter rain
But in dreams
I can hear your name


And in dreams
We will meet again
When the seas and mountains fall
And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again

 

 

Ending Music of the movie 'The Fellowship of the Rings'

 

You can hear it if you click here.  Make sure the background music has been turned off on the sidebar.

 

Frodo and Legolas

 

 

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May. 8, 2006

Opportunity

                   

                      Opportunity

They do me wrong who say I come no more

When once I knock and fail to find you in

For every day I stand out-side your door

And bid you wake and rise to fight and win.

 

                    Walter Malone

 

posted by Frodo

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May. 7, 2006

The Futility Of Wealth

 

Gold may be costly,

Jewels may be precious,

But gold is cold,

And jewels are speechless.

 

Better is the sun

If gold you seek

Take flowers over jewels

For flowers can speak.

 

- Written by Legolas

 

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Apr. 18, 2006

The Voice of the Sea

 

A voice came to me from the Sea

A dying echo, a silver ring.

An echo of stories and princes untold

A mystery the Sea will never unfold.

A legend of when swords used to swing

And war-ships to fight, and war-horns to ring.

When battles were fought, on the waves by the shore,

But the horns have grown silent and will sound no more. 

 

                                 

 

 

written by Legolas

 

 

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Our Quest

"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us..." GANDALF

The purpose of this blog is to record the ideas that are most important to us. We are two sisters who choose to go by the names of Frodo and Legolas. You will find poems and quotes, narrations and pictures from our favorite sources that have inspired us to use the time that has been given to us to the best of our ability. We hope you will enjoy the journey there and back again....

Frodo and Legolas





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Legolas is Reading...

• The Silmarillion
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• The Sea Around Us
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The Myth

"The value of the myth is that it
takes all the things we know and
restores to them the rich
significance which has been hidden
by the veil of familiarity . . .
By putting bread, gold, horse, apple
or the very roads into a myth,
we do not retreat from reality:
we rediscover it. As long as the
story lingers in our mind,
the real things are more themselves.
[The Lord of the Rings]
applies the treatment not only
to bread or apple but to good and evil,
to our endless perils, our anguish
and our joys. By dipping them in myth
we see them more clearly. I do not
think [Tolkien] could have done it
in any other way.”
- C.S. Lewis


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INTO THE WEST by Yulia



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And we come to end of days
In the dark I hear a call
Calling me there
I will go there
And back again'


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