Note on the lack of a desolation surrounding Old Man Willow:
When Sam is tempted by the Ring, the word “swollen” is used to suggest that the overindulgence was bad, much like Shelob, who’s gluttony is the sign of her evil.
Old Man Willow’s evil is different from this inward focused evil, but in his exceeding his due amount of influence over the land around him.
Sam rejects the temptation of garden is because he knows how much he needs and his position.
Boromir’s temptation is to exceed his position by becoming king.
Evil in Tolkien is often shown achieved by overreaching one bounds.
Old Man Willow also dominates the wills of the other trees in the Old Forest, much like Sauron does using the Rings of Power. This is another overreach of authority.
There is a correlation of authority and physical height in Tolkien, as this is traditional, so Old Man Willow’s size and age follows this in parallel.
The capture of Merry and Pippin could be something like an accelerated process of growing around an obstacle, but this is usually done out of disregard rather than attention.
Note on Frodo’s cries for help:
Why would Frodo go calling for help when he knows there is no one around? Is Frodo just panicking or is he being influenced by an outside power?
This seems different from the times when Frodo was being influenced by the Ring.
The fact that he had no plan or idea shows that this is not a temptation.
It’s possible that it is both his own panic and outside forces at work.
One strange thing about his cries are that they do not actually accomplish anything. Tom states that he did not hear Frodo when he cried out, so he happens upon them by chance.
This is also different from the interventions of “luck” in The Hobbit, as those were caused by the actions of the characters, not in spite of them. There is no plot necessity for Frodo’s cries.
The narrator emphasizes the irrationality of Frodo’s actions, which reveals his desperation.
This also shows something about Frodo’s character, in that when he loses his wits and hope, his impulse is to seek help, not to run away.
His panicked actions seem to produce help, but it actually doesn’t, and yet help comes.
This is tied to the idea that Frodo’s faith is rewarded, and this is reassuring to him.
Frodo’s most dangerous moment prior to this is when he is nearly caught by the Black Rider, and the Elves of Gildor’s folk appear, though not at his request. This seems akin to Providence.
This is a reconciliation of “free will” and “fate”, and Tom is a eucatastrophe in this situation.
Frodo is made to understand that he is caught up between his own choices and greater powers.
Would Tom had continued on if all four hobbits have been caught? Possibly.
What should we make of Frodo’s running down the path looking for help? This is a positive sign, as Frodo could have given into despair, but instead springs into action.
Frodo has no rational reason to expect help, except the fact that the path he follows seems to be made by humans, rather than by the trees. It has more to do with his own panic.
Note: This is parallel to references in the Book of Psalms to crying out in desperation for help.
Note: Hobbits do not have much lore about Eru or the Valar, except maybe Bilbo and Frodo.
The implication that he is hoping for something he is unaware of means that this his running is not a flight to safety, as he clearly does not wish to do this.
This is different from the impulse to flight that Frodo will get from the Ring later in the Barrow.
Note on “weather-wind” and “feathered starlings”:
It is possible that these images are being evoked to describe his haste to return to Goldberry.
Tom often expresses the images describing his activities before he tells the reason.
Starlings are important images, as Tom is described as whistling like a starling in his house.
A strange path to safety:
The images of the rising mists and falling darkness highlight the sinister nature of the forest and are reminiscent of the sleeping spell if the willow that came up through the ground.
The images of the faces in the trees also highlight the hostility of the trees.
If they had not met Tom, they would have had to deal with this hostility on their own.
It’s important that even with Tom’s assurances, they have to make the choice to proceed themselves and walk the path on their own.
The tiredness that they feel seems to be beyond physical fatigue but seems to come from the will of the forest working on them. They very nearly give up.
Would Tom have come back for them if they’d stopped? That is unknown.
Note: Despite Tolkien’s personal love of trees, he does not hesitate to show their dark side. He gives trees a choice, which means that he respects trees enough as beings to give them one.
It is the gently rising of the ground is the first sign of hope, as they have been led downhill all day to the Withywindle.
All day they have been following a path which led them to fall into a trap.
This time they have been told they are on a good path, even though they have to follow it blindly in the dark, and they are rewarded by actually making progress somewhere.
The area around Tom Bombadil’s house is unusually domesticated within the wild forest.
One might expect something like Radagast’s ramshackle house, but this isn’t that.
This implies control over his surroundings. Tom probably is able to make the lawn and trees around them do what he wants and keep them looking neat and trim.
Tom probably does not use shears or clippers; rather the plants know the limits set for them.
Tom has almost certainly sung this into being as he has everything else.
The forest is being compared to a hedge, volunteering to serve as a hedge for Tom which is in contrast to the trees who attack the High Hay in Buckland.
Note: The use of the word “shaven” with respect to the grass implies that the grass is simply very short, like a putting green.
How does Tom keep the grass short? Possibly animals, like sheep or goats, or Fatty Lumpkin, or even forest animals, but he also might just sing a command over it.
The path being marked by white stones, which has been wild and hostile so far, shows that it has been domesticated by Tom. This is also reminiscent of Bilbo’s teaching about paths.
All this together tells us something about Tom’s character and abilities.
A strange description of Tom’s house:
The use of the phrase “up, down, under hill” is unusual and significant.
This is a phrase that seems more reminiscent of a song than of prose.
This may be a recollection and vindication of the directions that Tom gave to the hobbits.
It is also interesting that the word “under hill”, like Frodo’s alias, keeps being used.
The phrase is in a childlike style, which stands out among the rest of the text.
It is possible that the phrase “up, down, under hill” is actually a spell, which needed to be spoken in order for the hobbits to be able to find the house.
The phrase is definitely reminiscent of Tom’s song, though not a direct quote, and as we know Tom’s songs have power, this is like a sung spell. Tom has told them what would happen.
The appearance of Tom’s house as if by magic shows that power was used to bring them there.
The spell of the forest is broken for good:
Tom encourages the hobbits to not only to come to the door, but to hop along like him.
Tom also invites the ponies, which means that he considers them guests, too.
The description of Goldberry’s voice is highly evocative, using unique similes to describe her.
The use of Spring as an image emphasizes her timelessness, and the water shows her nature.
The use of opposite images simultaneously invokes a feeling of trying to describe the ineffable.
This is an unusual use of simile, as they are usually used to describe something new or strange using terms that are familiar. Here, they are used to make it seem even stranger.
The literal denotation of the stream imagery implies a passage of time and a scope to the size of the stream, flowing a great distance and over the course of the day.
The use of this simile to describe her voice gives it a feeling of stature, not just beauty.
The association of her voice with morning light is in contrast with the darkness around them.
There is also an association of the falling of light from on high into a dark valley.
On Goldberry’s song:
This song is also in Tom Bombadil’s meter of trochaic heptameter, especially the last line.
There is a difference in the sound of the words used, which disturbs the trochaic rhythm.
Goldberry begins by taking up the last line of Tom’s song and continues in her own way.
She suggests singing joyfully about things that have been scary for the hobbits up to now.
The overall feel of the lines is more fluid, which is more like her own watery nature.
All of the imagery used are sung in pairs, but not matching pairs.
It’s implied that Tom is like the first part of the pairs, and Goldberry the second.
Note: It is very easy to see an “environmentalist” bent in Tolkien’s writings, though Tolkien himself might have thought this a strange term to use.
“Old Tom Bombadil and the River-daughter” seems to be a culmination of a list of related things.
The pairs seem to be pairing sky and earth images with water images.
The “us” in the first line seems to invite all the guests to sing with Tom and Goldberry.
All of these images are associated with the pool where Tom and Goldberry met in the poem.
The implication is that they are very different, but better when put together.
A new spell falls over the hobbits:
It is notable that the words “golden light” is used just before they actually meet Goldberry.
She is also associated with daylight specifically, not the silver of water or moon and starlight.
It is also notable that immediately a great deal of their fatigue disappears.
