Episode 27 Summary

[Tony Meade]

SESSION 27

On Tom Bombadil’s primary song:

• The rhythm is different from both the hobbit and elvish poetry so far.
• Some lines are regular and metric, but some fall out of the meter.
• The rhythm is trochaic, as opposed to the hobbit poetry, which is iambic.
• Iambic feet are the most common in English language poetry. (ex: Dr. Seuss)
• Iambic meter tends to be more soothing and melodic; trochaic meter tends to be bouncier.
• Trochaic meter tends to limit the vocabulary the poet can use.
• Tom lines up the trochaic two-syllable words right on the beat.
• The verse also contains words with spondaic meter, which makes those lines more irregular.
• Most of the spondaic meter is at the beginning of lines.
• Iambic meter is easy to march to in time; the trochaic meter is for skipping.
• Tom’s poetry seems to come out in half-lines, joined by breaks or conjunctions.
• Note: The version of the poem sung by Rob Inglis in the unabridged audiobook doesn’t hold to the trochaic meter, using an iambic meter to fit the melody.
• The line length is somewhat irregular, though it hovers around heptameter (seven beats).
• Elvish poetry also tends to use heptameter a lot, though their poetry is usually iambic.

Tom is set apart:

• Note: This version of trochaic meter is most like that used in the Finnish “Kalevala” epic poetry. This is retained in the most famous English adaptation, “The Song of Hiawatha” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The “Kalevala” was hugely influential on Tolkien, especially as a young man, and Tom is reminiscent of Väinämöinen, who does battle with song in those stories.
• This use of meter and manner of speaking deliberately set Tom apart from everyone else.
• Note: The Finnish language is one of the truly unique languages, unconnected to the Indo-European family tree of languages. It had a large influence on the sound of Quenya.

Tom’s sings to an indirect audience:

• Who is being addressed by “Hey!” at the beginning of the lines? Is this Goldberry, since he says, “my darling”? Is this addressed to all the flora and fauna within earshot?
• Note: A theory proposed by Sparrow Alden of Signum is that the hyphenated words, especially those that are not real kennings, are unusual, or seem irregular/inconsistent, is actually an English representation of a word which would have been a single word in the “original” language (Elvish, et al.). They stand in for things or concepts for which English doesn’t have direct equivalents.
• Tolkien plays with ideas like “weather-wind”, using words that mean more than one thing, such as the “sul” element in Sindarin. By itself, it means “wind”, but in context in “Amon Sul”, it means “weather”.
• It’s possible that the Elves would have different words for different kinds of winds.
• Tom makes similar simple observations as the Elves singing in Rivendell in The Hobbit.
• It’s possible that Tom is not just observing this but speaking it into being.
• It’s also possible that, like with Gildor’s folk, Frodo and Sam are hearing this translated in their own minds, which would explain the use of translated concepts in the hyphenated words.
• It takes until the fifth line of the second stanza that he reveals that he is talking about and/or to Goldberry. He seems to be reporting back about his activities.
• Can Goldberry hear him? Likely, but he seems be talking more about her than to her.
• Why does Tom describe Goldberry as “clear”? What does he mean by this? This may be a reference to the quality of her skin, as was common in medieval romantic poetry.
• Elbereth is also described as “clear”, and this might be in reference to her voice.
• The first use of “you” only comes in the last line of the second stanza. Is this a general or specific use of “you”?
• Tom unusually uses adverbial phrases in between the subjects and verbs to delay resolution.
• Though Frodo describes the singing of Tom’s as nonsense, there are very few nonsense words in the poem. The line of “merry yellow berry-o” is the closest to actual nonsense poetry.
• That line returns to the original opening lines of the song, but now it is in reference to Goldberry rather than himself, which is how he begins.
• Are these lovey-dovey nicknames between Tom and Goldberry? Possibly, but this is not a direct address, and those would usually be only shared in private.
• This seems to be more like musical riffing on Goldberry’s name. This also keeps to the joy and pleasure that he takes in Goldberry herself and singing his song about her.
• Tom coincidentally names half of the hobbits in his song, in the words “merry” and “under Hill”.
• Is Goldberry her “actual name”? Is Tom’s his? They are and have been called by many names. Tom will address the idea of names and their meanings later.

Tom sings to a direct audience:

• When Tom turns towards Old Man Willow, he is clearly talking to the tree personally.
• Tom uses dismissive adjectives like “poor” and “old”, showing his lack of concern.
• Tom does not despise or hate the willow tree; he pities Old Man Willow for what he’s become. This is why Tom does not destroy the tree, which he could do.
• Tom definitely would remember the tree when he was young and less bitter.
• The use of “you” at end of the third stanza is pointedly addressed to the willow tree.
• “Can you hear me singing?” is an assertion of the power of his song.
• The description of evening following day is specifically about his trip home, but also used in a more general, metaphorical sense, and used as an admonishment of the tree.
• Note: When the evening metaphor is used in Tolkien, it is often a more apocalyptic metaphor.

Tom’s song silences the trees:

• It’s notable that once Tom is heard singing, the song of the trees that had been oppressing Frodo is removed, described as the wind going away.
• When Tom put his hand out, and this immediately freezes the hobbits running towards him. This shows the absolute authority he has over them, even though his words are not strong.
• Tom doesn’t just stop them, but also eases their panic with his words.
• This is the first of many occurrences of his words immediately manifesting themselves into reality.

Tom makes his introductions:

• Tom speaks his prose lines to Frodo and Sam in the same meter as his song, though the lines don’t always rhyme. Tom will hold to this meter whenever he speaks.
• Note: Tom’s blue coat is significant, as blue is the medieval color of hope (i.e. the Virgin Mary), something of which Tolkien would be very aware. Tom’s feather and eyes are also blue.
• Tom begins to reveal some of his status in his lack of fear of Old Man Willow.
• The lines of his decrying of Old Man Willow don’t exactly scan as Tom’s meter, but it’s notable that the paragraph also includes Sam’s statement about Merry. He may be picking up and riffing off of Sam to begin this bit of verse-prose.
• Note: Tom’s use of spoken, rhythmic prose is similar to the use of rhythm by rap artists.
• Is Tom exasperated with Old Man Willow, and that is why he loses the poetic rhythm?

A verbal rescue is affected:

• Merry is being drawn further into the tree, but by an unknown mechanism.
• It’s notable that only Merry can hear Tom’s voice when Tom first sticks his head inside.
• Is Tom speaking to Merry instead of the tree, when he speaks softly? It seems likely, as when he begins addressing the tree directly, it is loudly, outside, and in imperatives.
• Merry is also apparently directly aroused by Tom’s song, which implies that it was for him.
• There is a distinction between Old Man Willow and Tom both singing about earth, water, and sleep. The willow is using a ruse to destroy the hobbits, while Tom speaks honestly to actually send the tree back to sleep and in its natural state.
• Tom’s words “you should not be waking” is a chastisement of Old Man Willow’s unnatural behavior and is admonishing him to return to his natural course of life, like an ordinary tree.
• The willow immediately goes to sleep, once again showing Tom’s absolute authority.

A strange dinner invitation:

• The lines about the dinner fare on offer at Tom’s house are the same as what is described as the food at their wedding feast in the original poem. They are redoing their wedding every day.
• Tom’s invitation is not a command, but more a statement of facts, followed by his departure.
• His new departing song is a combination of directions, observations, and reassurances.
• This is also Tom verbally preparing the way for them by speaking their safety into being.
• Tom takes time to acknowledge the dangers that the hobbits have faced in their journey through the Old Forest so far, but this time he declares them safe from those dangers.
• Tom makes the statement that they will surely find home and food at the end of their path.
• It’s significant that Tom allows them to choose their own path. He makes promises to them and prepares their way but gives them the choice as to whether to follow it.
• As the sun sets, the hobbits are reminded of evening in the Shire, which is contrasted with the frightening shadows of the Old Forest.
• They are reminded of the dangers they would have faced without Tom.
• The experience of unreality of the hobbits is a reminder that they are very much in Faerie.
• Note: The promise of safe passage on a dangerous path using faith is reminiscent of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice.
• The shadow either creates or reveals faces in the trees. This maybe a play of their imagination.
• Note: The word “gloaming” is a very Tolkienian word that he used a lot.
• Note: The word “leer” does not have explicitly sexual overtones. This is a modern usage. This is true of many words, such as “lust”. Tolkien is using them in their original meanings.

END OF SESSION