Where is the poetry....?

Timdalf

Active Member
This is in response to the video of the Full Panel of the SDCC...

ignore the gymnastics of the over-acting violinist... More musicianship, luv, less Elvis gyrations, thank you...

And what do I mean exactly by "poetry"... not the actual poems in LotR, although they are the concentrated
dosage of the spiritual mindsets of the book...

Study how Tolkien works his magic... He spends a whole and full chapter setting up the demi-paradise of the Shire... and its delightful, if somewhat inane denizens... this also relies on the entire mood of The Hobbit before it to set the scene... then we have a chapter of historical narration... Not actual threat, only tales about it... then we follow the initial company into some fairy tale quasi-dangers in the Old Forest and the Barrow Downs interrupted by a higher variety of Paradise with Tom Bombadil... Only then are we ready to have the firt real encounter with evil and fearsome terror on Weathertop... then that is relieved by Many Meetings and the refuge of Rivendell... then the final chapter of backstory narrative with the Council... And only now after several hundred pages does the real story begin with the Fellowship setting out.... Thus what he has done is create a huge solid foundation of what we care about, about what is at stake... The Shire and Rivendell (and later Lothlorien)... without all that immersion in perfection of various degrees and levels the rest of the story would be hollow and just artificial adventurism, serial scrapes and escapades that really don't matter... And this will continue on to Fangorn Forest, Edoras, then Minas Tirith... To really care about the ominous threats we have to totally care about what they threaten....

So, The Rings of Power must spend at least a whole episode in Numenor and Eriador before the wakening of the threats... we have to fully be immersed in these Paradises, before the real story begins... and they must be renewed as the series progresses... And this is also how the films work... and a large advantage they have is the wonderful music of Shore... his Hobbit themes... Concerning Hobbits... Hobbit's Understanding, Pensive Setting, Hymn Setting, Lullaby Setting, Playful Setting... all take us deep into the Shire and its ambiance.... The music I heard in this Full Panel was full of blood and guts, intense dark drama.... but little or no gentle soul... or lyrical Elvishness... light hearted gaity... if this persists the balance of the series will be off... and that balance must be solidly and fully into wanting to stay forever in Numenor and the Elven kingdoms... We must be heartbroken and terrified to lose them... That is what I will be watching and listening for... All the hoopla about sets, vistas, heroic battles, even dreadful prior losses or actors' comaraderie or knowledge of lore... let alone superficial virtue signalling of inclusiveness.... will mean nothing without that being fully established for us... There must be poetry... heart and soul...

Timothy Fisher "Timdalf"
 
Hi Timdalf! It's my impression that this is precisely what they'll be doing in the ROP - setting the scene and bringing to the forefront what is at stake
 
But will we ever care as much for Numenor or Eriador... realms of men or elves as much as we do for The Shire... can the Harfoots really take the place of all the Shirelings? Yes, they absolutely have to make us care... but so far I don't see or hear evidence... And I am not saying this is their fault... it is inherent in what Tolkien gave them to work with, or not to work with....
 
Back in the ancient days of Usenet, on Rec.Arts.ScienceFiction.Written, we had a stock phrase: "the eight deadly words". They were

"I don't care what happens to these people"
 
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