Middle-earth Journeys

I just looked at your versions side by side, marbretherese, to see the changes. They're small, but I agree that they're improvements. It's a lovely poem and the structure fits the content well--it is like a spell itself! I look forward to its publication.

marbretherese, I confess I had to research sestina to find out what it was. I love the poem. As Merry says, it is almost like a spell. What talented people visit this website!!!

It is just lovely marbretherese! I have never tried to write poetry (if you can call it that) in a strict form, such as the sestina, favoring more of a free-form, often non-rhyming style. I'm very impressed by the freedom and creativity you found within this very interesting rhyme scheme.

Thanks, everyone! I hadn't come across a sestina before either - I wrote this when I was reading Stephen Fry's excellent book about poetry, The Ode Less Travelled. He encourages the reader to try out the various metres and forms as you go along. I'd studied sonnets and iambic pentameter at school but I know now a bit about villanelles and haiku (haikus?) and other exotic poetry stuff as well as the sestina - it's great fun to do!!

Well a good tutorial kind of book can really take you a long way. I've done that myself from time to time and it's good for inspiration too.

Yes, it certainly gets the ideas flowing!!

Now, from something a year old to something completely new. It's one of those "I-liked-it-while-I-was-painting-it-but-now-I'm-not-so-sure" moments . . .

I confess I've had a sneak preview of this so marbretherese already knows I like it. I love the window frame with its still life of Tom's hat with the kingfisher feather, and the jug and bread (promise of all the good things to come for the Hobbits in their well-provisioned home).

It's nice to see another illustration of Tom and Goldberry - great idea to do the wedding! .

I like those things to Iolanthe but also the bread and pitcher on the table add a nice touch.

It's easier to take Tom seriously as a groom without his hat, but I'm glad it made it into the picture anyway! I also like the look on Goldberry's face and the flowers creeping into the frame.

I like this very much. Tom seems both taller and younger than in my imagination, but then again, I'm picturing him from the time he met the hobbits, and his wedding must have happened much, much, MUCH earlier in the Ages of Arda. He makes a handsome bridegroom, doesn't he? Goldberry seems VERY pleased!

I also have to keep reminding myself that Tom probably has the power to assume whatever shape or appearance he wishes, and his description in LOTR is as he appears to the hobbits (taller than a dwarf, but shorter than a man). Doubtless he was taller and more elf-like for his marriage to Goldberry.

I always thought them a rather odd couple, but your concept makes them much more believable, marbretherese. I especially the inclusion of Tom's feathered hat.

Thanks for these comments, everyone! I put Tom's hat in the painting partly to point up the fact that the subject is Tom Bombadil, a symbol really, I suppose. Since Iolanthe saw the picture I've reduced the strength of the flowers; they were way too vivid in the original! I too imagined Tom as younger when he first met Goldberry but he probably should be shorter than depicted - in fact I based the two figures on a photo of Jonick & I dancing at a wedding. If anything I've made myself taller (and younger, slimmer, better-looking, blonde ). I should point out however that J doesn't have a beard or brown hair . . . I was aiming for a Green Man effect, and it was important to me that his colours be stronger than hers. Overall however the bit I like the best is the foreground (slightly unfortunate, don't you think? )

marbretherese, you'll get a giggle from this. When I first looked at the painting, I thought, "Oh, how nice! Gandalf attended Tom and Goldberry's wedding." I didn't realize the blue hat had a blue feather, and I thought it was Gandalf's big tall blue "pointy" hat. Then, I looked closer, noticed the feather, and realized that it must be Tom's hat. Oh well!

Tolkien doesn't mention wedding guests in the poem, but I bet if they invited anyone it would be Gandalf!!

I bet Gandalf did attend Tom and Golberry's wedding .