BMEM '08: Where Now is the Horse and the Rider?

[lady_branwyn]

Lament for Eorl the Young

Where now is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing?
Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?
Where is the hand on the harpstring, and the red fire glowing?
They have passed like rain on the mountain, like a wind in the meadow;
The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow.
Who shall gather the smoke of the deadwood burning,
Or behold the flowing years from the Sea returning?

--JRR Tolkien

Comments

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

*shivers happily*

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

True confession--I loathe most of Tolkien's poetry. But this is one of the exceptions. I still catch my breathe at that scene in the movie where Theoden's recites this.

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

*whispers* I skip all the poetry, and all the songs, and every other year when I reread, I skip the Tom Bombadil part. (In the alternate years, I have to reread Bombadil to remind myself of how much I hate him.)

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's a very good idea!
I can never read the part with Tom without remembering Harvard Lampoon's "Bored of the Rings"--

Thus speaking, the withered apparition raised his spidery hand in a two-fingered "V" sign and uttered an eldritch spell:

"Tim, Tim Benzedrine!
Hash! Boo! Valvoline!
Clean! Clean! Clean for Gene!
First, second, neutral, park,
Hie thee hence, you leafy narc!"

[fallingtowers.livejournal.com]

This was the only part of Bored of the Rings that I found actually funny. But maybe that's because I hate Tom Bombadil, too.

[lady-branwyn.livejournal.com]

Please excuse the typos. My brain is running on empty after a long day at work.

[telperion1.livejournal.com]

Thanks for pointing me to this. I'd hate to have It's a lovely poem. Really good to be reminded of. I know that objectively. My problem is I get none of the shivers lately. I just recognize it as nice poetry.

It will come back, I'm sure. At least I hope!

In any event, it's a fine poem. very good to share.