Sam the Poet-Dreamer

[Archimago]

When I think of Sam, the first things that come to mind are his faithfulness and his heroism. But I find it striking that Sam’s first starring scene focuses on his imaginative, creative side. Sam’s half-chant at The Green Dragon about the Elves’ departure is marvelous and melancholy (and thus very unhobbitlike).

Sam’s sigh as he leaves also interests me. Perhaps he is simply annoyed at his failure to interest the local rustics in dragons and Elves, but I wonder. I like to think his (possibly extemporaneous) poem is still on his mind, and the sigh is from a lingering sadness at the thought of the Elves leaving Middle-earth. We’re told he “had more on his mind than gardening”; perhaps he’s pondering the next verse of “Sailing, Sailing, Sailing”.

It seems to me that this side of Sam is often overlooked, and Sam the Poet-Dreamer does not get enough credit. Or am I trying to read too much into this scene?

 

[Archimago]

Ah, that makes sense! (I have just listened to the ninth lecture, sadly having missed the live sessions for a while.) Yes, certainly Sam has conspiracy on his mind as he leaves The Green Dragon, not Elves. But I am still quite enchanted with this new (to me) understanding of Sam, and I look forward to more discoveries as we make our way leisurely through the text. It's fascinating to learn that this scene was also Tolkien's introduction to Sam; I shall have to catch up on The Return of the Shadow lectures as well.