Well... Cormallen points me at the War of the Ring, and the only person I know of who was 'speared' is
Frodo Baggins.
Which works pretty well with the rest of the poem:
Quote:
Remember when you were young,
You shone like the sun:
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
Then came that look in your eyes
Weary, hunted and wise:
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
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A general summary of Frodo's path. The repeated 'diamond' refrain can refer to the white gem he received from ?Arwen right at the end of the story.
Quote:
You were speared on a hilltop
In terror and combat,
Rode on a sea of pain.
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A combination of two references: Frodo was
stabbed at Weathertop (and rode - by himself - over Bruinen despite his pain), but was later
speared in Moria.
Quote:
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Come on, you target for conspirers’ laughter!
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The Conspiracy Unmasked, of course.
Quote:
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Come on, you legend, you hero, you martyr, and shine!
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This is more accurate outside the Shire than within; in that country, Bilbo was more of a legend than his nephew. But in Gondor, yes.
Quote:
You took up the gauntlet:
Fared forth in the dark
Shine on you crazy diamond!
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Frodo swore to bear the Ring, and I believe left Rivendell at sunset.
Quote:
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Threatened by shadows at night
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The Nazgul.
Quote:
And tormented by light:
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
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'There is nothing between me and the Wheel of Fire', as he said.
Quote:
Well you wore out your heart’s strength
With deadly precision,
And broke on a mountain’s peak;
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Welcome to Mordor. 'Deadly precision' really does sum up Frodo's grinding-down during the final stages of the journey, and in the end he did break.
Quote:
Come on, you quester, you seer of visions,
Come on, you vessel of light never darkling
And shine!
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Frodo has multiple visionary moments - in Bombadil's house, at Bruinen, in Lorien, on Amon Hen, and in Mordor (possibly others too). The 'vessel of light' refers both to him, and to the Phial of Galadriel.
Quote:
Where are you roaming tonight?
How near or how far?
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
Pile on many more years
And I’ll be joining you there:
Shine on, you crazy diamond!
And we’ll bask in the glory of yesterday’s triumph
And weep on Cormallen’s field!
Come on, you dreamer
You winner and loser!
Come on you deep one, you thinker, you muser
And shine!
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This verse answers the third question: who is the Singer? Well, Frodo is walking the roads of the Lonely Isle tonight, and after many years and the death of his beloved Mistress Rose, it is
Samwise Gamgee who will join him there.
'You winner and loser' is a perfect summary of Frodo's journey, while 'dreamer, deep one, thinker, muser' is equally perfect as a description of his character.
How'd I do?
hS