Tolkien is Not Yeats - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Odysseus819 · 07-26-2001, 06:13 AM

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ghost-Prince of Cardolan
Posts: 601</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: Tolkien is Not Yeats

Yes, quoting Pippin's bath song, as support for the argument that Tolkien's poetry is bad, is pretty lame -- like quoting one of the fool's songs from "As You Like It" as "proof" that Shakespeare was a bad poet. I certainly don't think that the songs and poems are the best part of LotR, but they're mostly well done. In terms of the critic's point about the plot being often interrupted for a song, the only instance I can think of is Aragorn's and Legolas' funeral song for Boromir, which I always thought a bit strange but still touching.

P.s. LOL at "Entlemen" !!

<font size = "-2"> [i] Listen! the mighty Being is awake / And doth with his eternal motion make / A sound like thunder--everlastingly.</p>

07-26-2001, 06:13 AM	#1
Odysseus819 Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 699	<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ghost-Prince of Cardolan Posts: 601</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE> Re: Tolkien is Not Yeats Yes, quoting Pippin's bath song, as support for the argument that Tolkien's poetry is bad, is pretty lame -- like quoting one of the fool's songs from "As You Like It" as "proof" that Shakespeare was a bad poet. I certainly don't think that the songs and poems are the best part of LotR, but they're mostly well done. In terms of the critic's point about the plot being often interrupted for a song, the only instance I can think of is Aragorn's and Legolas' funeral song for Boromir, which I always thought a bit strange but still touching. P.s. LOL at "Entlemen" !! <font size = "-2"> [i] Listen! the mighty Being is awake / And doth with his eternal motion make / A sound like thunder--everlastingly.</p>