Poetry competition CLOSED 2nd September 2018 2:22am
WINNER
MaryWalker
MaryWalker
RUNNER-UP:
AtoMikbomb
Lord of the Poems: the Fellowship of the DU
Poetry Contest Description
Write a poem based off Tolkien's work
Hello everyone! I'm a huge fan of Tolkien's work, and I've noticed a few people here are as well. I invite you all to write based off of this incredible world, either for a specific character or an event that occurred in the lore. The rules are the following:
1. Maximum 3 poems per participant
2. No collaborations (ironic on my part, but it's for the sake of choosing a winner easily)
3. Please clarify on who or what you're writing about
4. No word limit, but please don't make it terribly long (that's what short stories are for)
5. Have fun!
If you have any question, feel free to message me.
[ Tolkien ] Eowyn's Song
Running, I sprint
dashing into war
not in want to make a name for myself
Leaving such a fool's misguided folly
to the unrequited sycophantic
No opportunity for despair
fewer moments to spare for melancholy
Unwavering is the gilded blade
I wield impossibly in the frantic
Charging through collapsing lines
fury of axe upon tin shield
Flaming volley raining down
Death everywhere on battlefield
Dodging poisoned tips of spears
becoming painfully numb to my fears
as I watch yet another mother's son
die within the prime of his years
A weaving of mist, ash, fume---
I choke for breath in the woolen air
before me as if a bloody, swollen wound
nursed without any tender care
Too late for any promises to keep
as I venture deep into the foray
to find more of my kin
have come to lay
dead and broken
Their fate?
An eternal sleep
blanketed by this awful burial shroud
It takes everything in me to carry on
lamenting the fallen
and through tears
I wail aloud
Now you shall taste
the deadly kiss of this blade
Far from timid lass
I am no servant maid
The mold of my destiny
long ago was cast;
forged for battle
I was made
And if I remain standing
when darkness has passed
in fleeting moments of life
your very last
if your ego is that demanding
take it as an insult to your pride
wear it like a crown
on this very day
you will have died
Under dawning sky
when morning star comes around
you may shatter my bones
but I will not break
No swinging hammer shall ever
bring me down
if any can
In a lifetime spent unafraid to die
lived quietly in the shadows of men
now hear the rage in my voice
my battle cry
hear it loud
suffer me now
I am no man
Written by MaryWalker
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[ Tolkien ] The March Of The Ents
From the highest winding branch
down to the deepest gnarled root
and furthermost wavering leaf
the decision is moot
Moot moot moot moot
Moot moot moot moot
Here no more for ourselves
we are off to help the Little Ones
and Men and Dwarves and Elves
Having endured many moons and suns
dating back to ages ancient
in this constantly changing world
our existence becoming rapidly spent
Coming now with leaves unfurled
we are Ent
Moot moot moot moot
Moot moot moot moot
The wrath to avenge our planted
friends of acorn, nut, and seed
---take it not lightly, nor for granted
as we move with little speed
And though we may be hewn of every limb;
from biting axes, sap may bleed
Tell the wizard we've come for him
a warning he should seriously heed:
we are Ent
Moot moot moot moot
Moot moot moot moot
From Fangorn we march, drawing near
to tear apart and smash and rent
the largest cog, the smallest gear!
Accursed, black stone monument!
Spells from Isengard may be our demise
Flood every trench, shaft and vent!
Drive out Saruman once White and wise
To Sauron let this message be sent ...
we are Ent
Moot moot moot moot
Moot moot moot moot
Written by Magnetron
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[ Bad Raps ] As The Nazgul Raps
Witch KING?
This KING
One of the Nine
servING the Dark Lord of BLING
R-I-N-G;
that's spells RING
Listen up, GolLUM -
let me TELL you SOMETHING!
What is your WRATH
COMpared to the MIGHT of a WRAITH
who lives to CREEP in the DEAD of NIGHT?
Impaling hobbits in their SLEEP
scar'UM to death with FRIGHT
BREAK their FAITH
MAKE'UM WEEP
while I TAKE deLIGHT
A wreath of iron THORNs
ADORNs me with a crown of DREAD
Just you try to PUMPING me FULL of LEAD
Getcha SUMTING AIGHT;
A MORNing STAR upside the HEAD
Yeah, that's RIGHT
That's what I SAID,
beeYOTCH
yo-YO-yo-YO-yo
I'ma a NazGUL
Nasty ass FELow minus a SOUL
Bat outta HELL
riding a FELL BIRD with a stinky CROTCH
SO foul and SMELLY
Flying fast and furiousLY FAR
straight out of AngMAR
Mister G
WORD
Written by JohnnyBlaze
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Middle~Earth〽️
Swathed in drifting mist and fires' smoke,
Thunderous drums as daylight fades.
Songs of ancient clans drown whispers
Of their women's woolen skirt hems,
While the dance builds, a moon eclipsed,
Blood rises this summer solstice.
A melodic cauldron is stirred,
Dulcimer strings and fidd’ler's bow,
Quickened bravado of their feet
Sway bare across long wooden planks.
Black-wing’d souls spin o’er village roofs,
Their calls carry the hearts & minds
Of warriors in the clannish hills,
Forging new swords, bathing the blades
In the falls’ crest cascading down
Toward the rolling emerald valley,
Where dragons, circ’ling low, await
The feast they know will come tonight.
Starlit eyes stare long at their flight,
Yearning a journey ‘cross the sea.
Where friends seek, darkness is at bay,
Wizards, unaware of night's crawl,
Travel through ages of magic
To summer nights, when fireworks
Shaped as the shadows of dragons,
Are the only sorcery seen.
Thunderous drums as daylight fades.
Songs of ancient clans drown whispers
Of their women's woolen skirt hems,
While the dance builds, a moon eclipsed,
Blood rises this summer solstice.
A melodic cauldron is stirred,
Dulcimer strings and fidd’ler's bow,
Quickened bravado of their feet
Sway bare across long wooden planks.
Black-wing’d souls spin o’er village roofs,
Their calls carry the hearts & minds
Of warriors in the clannish hills,
Forging new swords, bathing the blades
In the falls’ crest cascading down
Toward the rolling emerald valley,
Where dragons, circ’ling low, await
The feast they know will come tonight.
Starlit eyes stare long at their flight,
Yearning a journey ‘cross the sea.
Where friends seek, darkness is at bay,
Wizards, unaware of night's crawl,
Travel through ages of magic
To summer nights, when fireworks
Shaped as the shadows of dragons,
Are the only sorcery seen.
Written by Jade-Pandora
(jade tiger)
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Dawn at Helm’s Deep
The attack went on throughout the night,
Neither man or dwarf, nor elf got sleep,
And as they endured the drawn out fight,
They started losing hope at Helm’s Deep.
Then many orcs broke through the doors,
When the onslaught came in a great heap,
The enemy advanced by great scores,
Hope seemed lost defending Helm's Deep.
But then Aragorn remembered the words,
"On the fifth day, at dawn, look to the east,"
At first light they gathered their strength,
Hope had revived to defend Helm’s Deep.
"Ride out with me" Aragorn told the king,
"Ride out and meet them" without retreat,
For the people the king agreed with faith,
For the horn will sound again in the deep.
Theoden king and many of his companions,
Charged outside the doors in a great leap,
Slaying the enemy at the gates,
Taking one last stand at Helm’s Deep.
And as they counterattacked at the bridge,
The glimmer of hope became complete,
For in the distance stood a beacon of light,
Coming to the aid of Helm’s Deep.
Gandalf arrived on the back of Shadowfax,
Eomer gathered the Rohirrim in a great fleet,
"For the king!" they thundered,
Coming to the aid of Helm’s Deep.
And as they charged down the hill to fight,
The sun rose behind them blinding the enemy,
Led by the wizard Gandalf, clad in white,
Dawn and hope had come to Helm’s Deep.
A wizard is never late…nor is he early.
He arrives precisely when he means to.
Anonymous
<< post removed >>
[ Tolkien ] A Mere Trinket
Hold me in your hand
Such an ordinary metal band
i am
so shiny
G O L D
reflected
in your eyes---
cool, its touch
upon warm fingers
as wraithing hands writhe
in desperation, sensing
POWER that still lingers;
Forged in Mount Doom's molten rift
where flames burned white-hot fervent
Distrust fanned between Elf, Dwarf, and Man
as Nine crowned became His servant
Little Halfling
bring me to Him
and Our armies will sing!
songs reveling about you
For what its worth
a king of Middle Earth
you will be made
Now, fade
Let yourself fade away to black
No
looking
back
Written by Magnetron
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[ Tolkien ] The Doom Of Man
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
Hear the drums beat
ground shaking beneath feet;
the very earth is coming alive!
Pulse of ten-thousand strong
marching swiftly along
without break in rhythm
or mistep in their stride
Fueled by hatred
Inhumanity crossbred
---tormented existence
wretched, despised
Whips lashed against backs
Rank and file tracks
as they press onward
in the chill of the night
Cold rain
steadily in deadfall
Front lines come halt
beyond the great stone wall
Now the hour is here
Succumb to every fear
Make a final stand
Death come for one and all
Man and Elf together
embrace the horror at hand
fighting side by side;
testament to dark days
as volley after volley
of flaming catapult shot
shatters collapsing towers
upon bodies left to rot
Battlements overthrown
fires raging hot
and on through the maelstrom
beat the war drums
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
All the while the White Wizard laughs
Doom doom doom doom
as the Age of Men
comes crashing down
in miserable end
---nowhere to hide
Time has come now
for Orc and Machine
smashing legendary refuge
into mountainside
Fire undoing stone
Helms Deep overthrown
and on through the maelstrom
beat the war drums
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
Doooooom
Dooom dooom
Doooooooooooom
Written by Magnetron
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A Halfling's Might
Less comely they, than some
the ruddy folk from Anduin
curled on end and end
grown by stream and sweeping hill
full and free
and round with song
A loamy undertone - a softness
of ferns in spring and thawing home
ever veiled from unknown stone
and war
and thrones
and blood
and bone
A strange way to bend one's toes
padding past peril
upon wind raped hills
chill with wraiths - pale plateaus
a lilting flute amongst roars
a plucked fiddle string amongst screams
a glacial blue blade
hewing through the dead and matte
Breaths of red in lungs of green
hearts like hauberks hastening fast
a rope
a pan
a pottage set
The compass eastward treads in tattered trousers
Amon Hen and marshes dead
an eyebright might when all lights perish
finer in valor than kings of old
A firm footing over flame
sigils flicker hellish as darkness burning
emerging as magics converge
a flash of blinding white
a lunge and plunging into night
cries follow from the smallfolks' souls
Far from friend
or farm
or frond
deep in draught and oaken arms
creaking through a murky dusk
a dream of hoary meetings speak
a green leaf gleaming on the grass
A hope in gray
cloaks fasten as fellows fail; and fall
adrift in gifted elvin grace
with faces staunch, black from havoc
ringlets snarled atop such low, but noble heads
A sting in sallow-soft death
over stairways slick in oily evils
passing under shrieking spies
defiance of the lidless eye
Assailing smoke in shrouds of shadow
ascent beneath the stare of death
a will of gold
a hero's toil
to cast that ceaseless stranglehold
into Sauron's endless boil
Written by AtoMikbomb
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First off, a huge thank you to everyone who participated in my competition! I'm so glad to see other Tolkien fans here, and it was quite difficult for me to choose a winner. Alas, here's my explanation:
MaryWalker: Your entry, "Eowyn's Song", is absolutely brilliant. Eowyn is strong and respectable, not afraid to defy the social norms of her time and country. The descriptions you've used provide a fantastic imagery of the battlefield as Eowyn slays enemy after enemy, finding the will to continue on even though her kin die around her. She was meant to fulfill her destiny prophesied by Glorfindel centuries before. For you, shield maiden, I offer thee a shield trophy.
AEMelia: I adored your poem about Melian the maiar and the most notable events of her long life. I felt the magic that occurred when she first met Thingol and the love they instantly felt for one another. The love and grief that Luthien brought them in life and with her death. Melian's life is bittersweet, and you've captured that element excellently.
AtoMikbomb: Hobbits are such innocent and cute creatures. I personally think that they've been grossly underestimated, and the LOTR trilogy proved it. It's a shame the trauma that Frodo had to go through to the point that he had to sail to Valinor just to life out his life in peace. Gandalf said it best in the first Hobbit move; "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."
MaryWalker: Your entry, "Eowyn's Song", is absolutely brilliant. Eowyn is strong and respectable, not afraid to defy the social norms of her time and country. The descriptions you've used provide a fantastic imagery of the battlefield as Eowyn slays enemy after enemy, finding the will to continue on even though her kin die around her. She was meant to fulfill her destiny prophesied by Glorfindel centuries before. For you, shield maiden, I offer thee a shield trophy.
AEMelia: I adored your poem about Melian the maiar and the most notable events of her long life. I felt the magic that occurred when she first met Thingol and the love they instantly felt for one another. The love and grief that Luthien brought them in life and with her death. Melian's life is bittersweet, and you've captured that element excellently.
AtoMikbomb: Hobbits are such innocent and cute creatures. I personally think that they've been grossly underestimated, and the LOTR trilogy proved it. It's a shame the trauma that Frodo had to go through to the point that he had to sail to Valinor just to life out his life in peace. Gandalf said it best in the first Hobbit move; "Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I have found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay... simple acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? Perhaps it is because I am afraid, and he gives me courage."
