Tolkien Reading Day

[dreamflower]

The read_lotr_aloud community's contribution to Tolkien Reading Day was to be some readings of favorite passages from members.

Here is my favorite passage of all:




“And so the red blood blushing in their faces and their eyes shining with wonder, Frodo and Sam went forward and saw that amidst the clamorous host were set three high seats built of green turves. Behind the seat upon the right floated, white on green a great horse running free; upon the left was a banner, silver upon blue, a ship swan0prowed faring on the sea; but behind the highest throne in the midst of all a great standard was spread in the breeze, and there a white tree flowered upon a sable field beneath a shining crown and seven glittering stars. On the throne sat a mail-clad man, a great sword was laid across his knees, but he wore no helm. As they drew near he rose. And then they knew him, changed as he was, so high and glad of face, kingly, lord of Men, dark-haired with eyes of grey.

Frodo ran to meet him, and Sam followed close behind. ‘Well, if this isn’t the crown of all!’ he said, ‘Strider, or I’m still asleep!’

‘Yes, Sam, Strider,’ said Aragorn. ‘It is a long way, is it not, fro Bree where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all, but yours has been the darkest road.’

And then to Sam’s surprise and utter confusion, he bowed his knee before them; and taking them by the hand, Frodo upon his right and Sam upon his left, he led them to the throne, and sitting them upon it, he turned to the men and captains who stood by and spoke, so that his voice rang over all the host, crying:

‘Praise them with great praise!/

And when the glad shout had swelled up and died away again, to Sam’s final and complete satisfaction and pure joy, a minstrel of Gondor stood forth, and knelt, and begged leave to sing. And behold! he said:

‘Lo! lords and knights and men of valour unashamed, kings and princes, and fair people of Gondor and Riders of Rohan, and ye sons of Elrond and Dúnedain of the North, and Elf and Dwarf, and greathearts of the Shire, and all free folk of the West, now listen to my lay. For I will sing to you of Frodo of the Nine Fingers and the Ring of Doom!’

And when Sam heard that he laughed out loud for sheer delight, and he stood up and cried: ‘O great glory and splendour! And all my wishes have come true!’ And then he wept.

And all the host laughed and wept, and in the midst of their merriment and tears the clear voice of the minstrel rose like silver and gold, and all men were hushed. And he sang to them, now in the Elven-tongue, now in the speech of the West, until their hearts, wounded with sweet words, overflowed, and their joy was like swords, and they passed in thought out to regions where pain and delight flow together and tears are the very wine of blessedness.

Comments

[shirebound]

Yay, I love that scene so much.

[dreamflower]

So do I! I do wish we could have seen it in the films.

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

Gosh, I love it when Frodo and Aragorn reunite again!!! (as you can imagine! :))

[dreamflower]

I can just imagine the look of joy on the hobbits' faces as they realize who's waiting there, and his smile, just for them!

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

Perhaps no reading describes the joy this day held more than this one, in spite of the fact it came afterwards.

Lovely, Barbara!

[dreamflower]

Thank you! I hope I did it justice.

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. And that last paragraph is absolutely gorgeous, isn't it? I just decided the other day to use it as the quote that opens my next chapter. You don't see (or hear) stuff like that anymore, more's the pity.

[dreamflower]

Whenever I read that last paragraph, I also remember what I think as its "sister paragraph" in On Fairy Stories, in which he describes "eucatastrophe": "It does not deny the existence of dyscatastrophe, of sorrow and failure:the possiblitiy of these is necessary to the joy of deliverance; it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief."

And no, people don't much write like that nowadays, except maybe in a few exceptional Tolkien fanfics...

like yours.

[elandulin.livejournal.com]

*blush*

:)

[lbilover.livejournal.com]

You read that with so much emotion. There were tears in my eyes when Sam wept. Thank you! What a perfect choice for the day!

[dreamflower]

Thank you! The part that always gets me the most is "their joy was like swords". Tears and laughter always seem to go together in Middle-earth.

[golden80.livejournal.com]

Very nice reading and lovely scene! :)

[dreamflower]

Thank you, dear!

[belleferret.livejournal.com]

Oh beautiful! That last line brings tears to my eyes, the joy like swords. Thank you for the lovely reading!

[dreamflower]

I know. It also makes me think of the sentence in "On Fairy Stories", when he defines eucatastrophe:
"it denies (in the face of much evidence, if you will) universal final defeat and in so far is evangelium, giving a fleeting glimpse of Joy, Joy beyond the walls of the world, poignant as grief."

[addie71.livejournal.com]

That is a wonderful passage.

[dreamflower]

Thank you! There is so much about it to love, but especially the idea of all the love and honor being shown to Frodo and Sam.

[baranduin.livejournal.com]

*cries along with Sam and the host*

[dreamflower]

*sniff!* No one except Tolkien has ever expressed the closeness of joy and sorrow so beautifully.

[periantari.livejournal.com]

i'm weeping too! omg what a scene! what a great scene to read on this great day in Middle-earth! =) :D
‘Yes, Sam, Strider,’ said Aragorn. ‘It is a long way, is it not, fro Bree where you did not like the look of me? A long way for us all, but yours has been the darkest road.’
I love that quote sooooo darn much!!!!!!

Awesome reading and awesome selection of the passage, Dreamflower! =) :d

[dreamflower]

Thank you, dear!

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

That last subordinate clause... *swoons*

Lovely!

[dreamflower]

I know. *sigh* He had a way with words like no other.

[aliena-z.livejournal.com]

Excellent choice! That's got to be in everybody's top ten, at least. Thank you!

[dreamflower]

Thank you! I adore that passage--it seems to me the very embodiment of eucatastrophe!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Wonderful choice! You've made me all teary-eyed. :)

[dreamflower]

Thank you! *hands you virtual hankie*

[frodosweetstuff.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading this moving section to us!!! I always feel shivers run down my spine at the "Praise them with great praise" and I'm so happy that there are songs sung about Frodo and Sam. :)))

You read this beautifully! *hugs*

[dreamflower]

Thank you very much. I love this passage, which I think is some of JRRT's finest writing.

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. That's one of my favorite passages.

[dreamflower]

Mine as well. It's the very embodiment of the bittersweet nature of Middle-earth, and the way in which joy and sorrow are part of one another.

[telstar109.livejournal.com]

It's the perfectly fitting culmination to all that has happened, and you read it wonderfully. Thank you!

[dreamflower]

Thank you very much! I think it is one of the finest passages in the entire story.