Episode 134 Summary

Tony Meade

Active Member
SESSION 134

The sound of the dream poem:
  • While the rhyme scheme looks and sound like a basic A-B-A-B pattern, a closer look at the vowels reveal it to be more complicated. It is using a A-B-C-B-A-D-C-D pattern.
  • The A & C rhymes seem like slant rhymes, but the same near rhyme is repeated in both quatrains. There are slant rhymes in the middle three lines from lines three to five.
  • Line four seems to be the pivot of the rhyme structure, but the quatrains are not symmetrical.
  • The juxtaposition of “taken” and “token” as near rhymes only one line apart is intentional. Those morphemes are unusual and therefore noticeable in their closeness.
  • There is also a fair amount of alliteration in this poem, starting with “Seek for the Sword”, though alliteration isn’t one of the major features, and it leans more on the rhythm.
  • In the repeated phrase “There shall be”, the rhythmic emphasis is on “There” and not “shall be”.
  • Note: Tolkien was very interested in exceptions in linguistic rules, including his own created languages, so the idea that there would be variation in pronunciation of names is not unknown.
  • The pairs of rhymes may make connections between the content of the rhyming lines, but the near rhymes as well. Lines one and seven, and lines three and five, are connected by theme.
The message for Gondor:
  • A short synopsis of this poem as a message for Gondor is to “go to the Council of Elrond”.
  • It’s is unclear from the poem whether the Sword that was broken is the token in question, or if Isildur’s Bane is the token, but we can see that the two things are linked to the Doom.
  • Note: As a re-reader, we may know that the re-forging of the sword is not a sign of doom, but a response to it, but none of them in the Council know this yet, nor do first time readers.
  • It seems that the real motivation for Boromir’s journey is the Morgul-spells, not the military problem. His leadership in the army will not avail Gondor against the supernatural threat.
  • Does Boromir understand that the Nazgûl are involved when the capitalized word “Morgul” is used? Probably not, though Denethor might make that connection, beyond simple black magic.
  • The counsels are paralleled with the Doom, in that the counsels are actions taken, while “Doom” is being imposed as judgement, that now is the time to make the decision as to how to act.
  • This is rather than being their downfall, though it might be taken that way in the context of war.
  • The real pivot may be line six, where the final two phrases in the last quatrain are connected, though there is an implied colon separating those two ideas.
  • The poem only speaks of objects and concepts, which themselves aren’t named directly, but described by associations, with the exception of “the halfling”, who directly does something.
  • The rest of the verbs in the poem are spoken in the passive voice, concealing who is doing the actions of those verbs. That Isildur’s Bane, an object, is ascribed direct action is significant.
  • Though the rhyme scheme prevents separating the final couplet, it stands apart as a conclusion.
  • The final conclusion of the poem is that the Doom will be decided in these counsels, regarding both the Sword that was broken and Isildur’s Bane, as shown by the crescendo in the meter.
  • The enjambment between lines three and four, and with lines five and six, shows that these are each one complete thought, while the first and last couplets are broken into separate ideas.
END OF SESSION
 

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