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sador
Half-elven
Nov 21 2012, 10:50am
Views: 2787
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I don't think it's a coincidence that Frodo and Sam talk of tales just before they intend to go "over the top" into Mordor, and that they turn their own situation into a tale with each other as hero. This is the idea of tale as inspiration to face danger and difficulty, just as the Dwarves (and Bilbo) are inspired by the song we hear at the Unexpected Party. And I think it's also important that we always see the transformation afterwards of heroic events back into songs and tales I agree. More of this in the fifth thread, about preophecies.
I really have to defend the tra-la-lally song at least a bit from this charge of ridiculousness!. Yes, it's meant to be funny and mocking, but it's also, I think, meant to echo the madrigal of the Renaissance which was often funny or risqué, but still sounded beautiful and maybe even quite "elvish".
I was hoping someone will bring up the madrigals! Perhaps I should have linked to Finding Frodo's thread in this year's discussion.
That said, I still don't quite like this song.
"As all things come to an end, even this story..."
Here we read of Bilbo, who is “quiet and drowsy”, that “every now and again he would open one eye” and listen to Gandalf’s tale. Is Tolkien deliberately echoing this passage in LOTR when he writes, “At that Bilbo opened an eye, almost as if he had heard … ‘You see, I am getting so sleepy’, he said.”?
- N.E. Brigand
The weekly discussion of The Hobbit is back. Join us in the Reading Room for The Return Journey!
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The Last Stage, part III - Poetry and Prose
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sador
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Nov 15 2012, 9:23am
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“Picaresque” – nice!
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squire
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Nov 18 2012, 1:25am
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I'm glad you like it.
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sador
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Nov 19 2012, 8:57am
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Songs and tales
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FarFromHome
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Nov 19 2012, 11:26am
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Thanks for the links!
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sador
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Nov 21 2012, 10:50am
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Tour de force
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CuriousG
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Nov 20 2012, 7:48am
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Good point
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FarFromHome
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Nov 21 2012, 10:20am
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Thank you!
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sador
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Nov 22 2012, 1:17pm
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*What* goes ever on and on?
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squire
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Nov 22 2012, 6:13am
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Nice analysis!
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sador
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Nov 22 2012, 6:21pm
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Truth and fiction
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FarFromHome
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Nov 23 2012, 11:36am
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