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An Alphabet for Middle-earth  by Dreamflower 12 Review(s)
AntaneReviewed Chapter: 9 on 4/29/2007
Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come
‘Twas grace that brought me safe thus far
And grace will lead me home.

Somehow that verse seems very appropriate to Frodo.

Very appropriate indeed - I never thought of that but it's so obvious! Love his hymn to Iluvatar - I can forgive you for not naming F for Frodo because of it. :)

Namarie, God bless, Antane :)





Author Reply: I am glad you liked it.

Actually, I didn't pick any of the titles--they are all from the prompts we were given at the LiveJournal community "There'n'Back"--a different one each day.

AndreaReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/28/2007
Well, it's not so long ago since I read the original "Amazing Grace" for the very first time. I knew the German translation, of course, but it is nothing compared to the original.

And you are right, the second verse seems as if it was written for Frodo!

I did recognise the repeated words, and somehow they seemed familiar. Now I know the reason ;-)

Thank you very much for this poem. I'm really impressed :)

(Actually, I "saved" one of your poems by printing it out. It was the minstrel's song about the four hobbits and their deeds. "Perhaps it was to humble us..." That one is my favourite!)

Author Reply: I am glad you enjoyed it. From the first time the parallels struck me, I wanted to do something with it in fic--and when the idea of a praise poem to Iluvatar came to me, I thought a sestina would be a good form for it.

Oh! "The Smallest Hands"! I confess, it's a favorite of my own.

InklingReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/28/2007
Good heavens! How long did it take you to write this? Į laita to you for making it work!

Author Reply: Well, the prompt was posted on a Friday, and I think I did not finish it until a Monday or Tuesday. It took quite a bit of work.

PIppinfan1988Reviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/18/2007
Wow...that Amazing Grace - gotta love it. :-) I thought something rang familiar with that stanza. I wish I had a deeper understanding of poetry; I do have my favourite styles, don't know what all of them are called, lol, but I did enjoy this one immensely. The style, the rhythmn...the content. :-) Excellent!

PF

Author Reply: I love structured poetry. Not that free verse doesn't have its charms, but I like the challenge of writing a poem to a set form, whether rhyme and meter, like most poetry, or the alliterative verse of the Anglo-saxons, or haiku or other length based poems, such as dribbles. I had once previously written a sestina many years ago, and the form seemed appropriate for what I wished to accomplish in this one.

GamgeeFestReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/16/2007
I was wondering why those words kept repeating! lol I liked this. It's very straigtforward, which leads me to believe that Frodo did in fact heal in Valinor - none of the drama or angst of his dream poem found in "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil".

Author Reply: Yes, that's why they were repeated. Sestinas are a very strict form, and in some ways harder than rhyme, but they are interesting to construct.

I'm glad that you found it straightforward, and indicative of his healing--it's what I was trying to convey.

Pearl TookReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/15/2007
"Amazing Grace" does indeed fit Frodo well :-) This was beautiful.

Author Reply: Thank you very much! It just hit me a couple of weeks back, how well that verse fit him.

LarnerReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/13/2007
"Amazing Grace" was never one of my favorite hymns, but you are right--the second verse indeed applies well to Frodo. And trust him to have found his way and recognized the source of that grace!

Indeed a blessing. Thank you. This one goes into the keeper file.

Author Reply: I noticed that a few weeks ago, when we sang it in church. And I think that he would have indeed been one to recognize Who had succored him.

Thank *you* for the kind words.

AltheaReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/12/2007
As always I am in awe of your talent. This is beautiful.

Author Reply: Thank you! *blushes*

FiondilReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/12/2007
Lovely poem, Dreamflower. And you almost got it right. The imperative "Praise!" in Quenya is "Į laita" (LOTR3, VI, ch. 4). "Laitė" is the noun "a praise".

Author Reply: Oh, thank you so much, for the compliment, and the correction! I'll get in there and edit it tomorrow!

I was a bit concerned as to whether Laitė was exactly right, but decided to go with it on the off-chance. I appreciate the heads-up.

Queen GaladrielReviewed Chapter: 9 on 3/12/2007
Oh my! Oh, Dreamflower, how beautiful! I can definitely see Frodo writing this, and the Elvish refrain is icing on the cake.

I love sestinas. Had to do one for school recently, and I truly admire anyone who can do it without straying from the pattern. Wonderful!
God bless,
Galadriel

Author Reply: They aren't easy, really, harder than the more common sorts of rhyming poems, because you have to get those words at the end in every stanza without too much repetitiveness of meaning.

I'm glad you do think it's something he must have written!

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