One of the things I owe to Tolkien is inspiring in me a love of poetry. Before I read The Lord of the Rings, I had little interest in reading poetry, let alone writing it. It was the poems of Middle Earth that changed my mind…the way he used poems and songs to emphasize the emotional moments just made it “click” for me.

Early during my poetry exploration, I wrote this poem about Frodo in Mordor. It’s not really how I write poetry anymore, but it was definitely inspired by Tolkien. This seems like the right time to share it. 🙂

The Last Chapter

I wander through this valley of gloom
Seeking the mountain of death
Where has fled my strength, I wonder?
Uttering life’s last breath

So close around is darkness
It is all I understand
The mist around me, in my eyes
The stench of evil land

My greatest hope is victory
A sunrise for my kin
White daisies in the pastures
And gentle summer wind

Nearer and closer have I come
The slopes are at my feet
Somewhere a tower looms in dusk
Waiting for my defeat

If I can but reach that summit
And set my people free
Then I shall die, content and ready
To face the silver sea

Marian H. Rowe

16 thoughts on “The Last Chapter – A Poem for Frodo”

  3. “Uttering life’s last breath” such a beautiful line. This poem is serene at the same time bleak with a coating of devotion and sacrifice. It would be great if you provide a little bit of description. Terms like “silver sea” and “White daisies” seem to have some intrinsic meaning. And what is a Tolkien blog party? (*you can laugh at my ignorance 😅)

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    1. Ah, thank you! 🙂 The Tolkien blog party is a blog event celebrating the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien, whose most famous novels were The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

      I can’t remember now if “white daisies” had any meaning, except that it represents the beautiful Shire, which is where the character Frodo lived before he went on his adventure. And then, when the faithful characters’ time on earth is done, they cross the “silver sea” to go to paradise.

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  4. Little known fact, even from most of my family. Poetry is my favorite literary form, and I’ve written poetry since I was a very young man. I’m more of a closet poet though, preferring to keep my poems private, mostly in my journals. Poetry has always helped me reconcile things going on in my life. Lovely poem you wrote here. Do you now still prefer rhyming meter? I’ve always preferred free verse with the exception of some of the classic poets…Dickinson, Keats, Frost, and Poe to name my favorites. Have a pleasant weekend

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    1. You must have quite a few saved up! I understand wanting to keep the poems private. I also have a poetry journal, and though I write pretty frequently, most of them are just for me, at least for now.
      So far I’ve gone through 3 phases of poetry writing. The first was highly traditional and rhyming. The second was free verse, very heavy on the big words and metaphors. Now I’ve kind of reached a third phase that’s a combination of free verse and rhyme, with simpler language. 🙂
      Do you have any favorite poet(s) of free verse?

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  5. Whatever this says about me. I really struggle with poetry and even with LOTR, I find I skip the poems, although I really love the dwarfs’ song when they are pretending to smash all of Bilbo’s crockery in The Hobbit.

    It’s probably a lack of discipline on my part.

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