‘Strains of Elvish Song and Voices', Bradford Lee Eden

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Originally Posted by Faramir Jones

... William Morris sought to emulate ancient and medieval prose and poetry, as well as use Arthurian romances and themes, to transport their readers into a "heroic age" where things such as honor, virtue, and chivalry were the norm rather than the exception. ...[/I] (pp. 150-151)

...Hear, hear!

...I haven't read Swinburne, and Tennyson only have only skimmed & picked. Time, time.

He looks at Tolkien's early published poetry and the musical allusions in them; the character of Tinfang Warble in The Book of Lost Tales; the early version of the character of Dairon the minstrel, originally intended to be the brother of Lúthien; the verse versions of the story of Beren and Lúthien in The Lays of Belariand and their ''powerful language'; the legend of the making of the Sun and Moon; and the character of Tuor, the earlier stories of him showing him to be the greatest musician among Men, due to his stay in Gondolin. (pp. 158-162)

I always found Tinfang Warble, and Dairon, and for that matter Maglor-- each of them, haunting.

What I particularly like here are Dr. Eden's recommendations that readers look at the early verse versions of Beren and Lúthien's story, and the early stories of Tuor, of which he says that the versions published in The Silmarillion do not do them justice; because they are something I very much endorse. (They are, sadly, a little spoilt by the mistake in confusing Tuor four times with his cousin Túrin.)

But I've missed out on Tuor-- I burnt out on HoME before I got to him. I shall have to investigate. Thanks for the heads up!