|
Do you enjoy the 100% volunteer, not for profit services of TheOneRing.net? Consider a donation!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Aug 13 2008, 3:34am
Views: 189
Shortcut
|
The entire section from the Black Gate to Kirith Ungol continuously evolved as Tolkien was writing it. Originally it was to be a quick march between the two places; then he found the need for Sam to cook coneys, and while writing about that, wrote the note: "Describe baytrees and spicy herbs as they march." So the description of Ithilien was added.
Then they witness the battle between the men of Gondor and Harad, after which they "Strike the road to Osgiliath far down, and have to go back long [?detour] East. Deep Ilex woods. Gollum goes [?on] by day. Evening of third day they reach Cross ways. See broken statue."
But then Faramir appeared - first as a kinsman of Boromir - and Tolkien bemoaned that the story "is growing and sprouting again...and opening out in unexpected ways."
When he finally got his Hobbits back on the road again, the draft for this chapter seems to emphasize the growing darkness and menace and burden of the Ring rather than the land they travel through. Then Tolkien realized that to align with what was happening elsewhere, he needed them to travel an extra day - "achieved by the insertion of the following passage into a typescript of the chapter": the three paragraphs following "The birds seemed all to have flown away or to have fallen dumb."
And that's why there's not much description right there!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
"It struck me last night that you might write a fearfully good romantic drama, with as much of the 'supernatural' as you cared to introduce. Have you ever thought of it?"
-Geoffrey B. Smith, letter to JRR Tolkien, 1915
|
|
|
|
Subject
|
User
|
Time
|
Journey to the Crossroads: They Walk in Beauty
|
a.s.
|
Aug 7 2008, 12:58am
|
First and foremost: feel better!
|
sador
|
Aug 7 2008, 6:01am
|
|
I'll settle for "walk", period. :-)
|
a.s.
|
Aug 10 2008, 1:45am
|
|
We will see at the crossroads
|
orcbane
|
Aug 7 2008, 7:53pm
|
|
I had most of it saved
|
a.s.
|
Aug 10 2008, 1:46am
|
|
Three answers....
|
weaver
|
Aug 7 2008, 8:14pm
|
|
Frodo shuddered
|
batik
|
Aug 8 2008, 12:10am
|
|
A picture is worth
|
dernwyn
|
Aug 8 2008, 2:38am
|
|
it's behaving itself now!
|
a.s.
|
Aug 10 2008, 1:53am
|
|
Gollum's Curiousities
|
Elros
|
Aug 8 2008, 8:17pm
|
|
Many great trees grew there of untended age
|
squire
|
Aug 11 2008, 3:35am
|
|
at least some are holm oaks
|
a.s.
|
Aug 11 2008, 11:07am
|
|
Organic writing
|
dernwyn
|
Aug 13 2008, 3:34am
|
|
|
|
