Ian's Talk about Tolk ien

I so much enjoy your poems. It's a great respite for us adults, sometime-jaded poets. Thank you. ~A "It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." Mahatma Gandhi

I had to read this as I am a huge Tolkien fan. If only someone's style was half as good as his indeed. I thought Paolini might be able to do it when I read the first Eragon novel, but I was incredibly disappointed in the third one. The one person that I think comes close is Angie Sage, have you read her "Magyk"? My kids love it, too. Regards, Ink Dragon

I think Gollum is one of my alteregos I'm not home so I can't find my favourite passage. It's a magnificent portrayal of humanity, imo. I've seen your picture somewhere before, and no the hat isn't too much. It's not a tam, however. Hugs, ~A "It is unwise to be too sure of one's own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err." Mahatma Gandhi

My suggestions are mostly cosmetic. With line 11 I'd suggest a single ellipsis. For me, anything more becomes more distraction than trailing pause. I would add a syllable to line 8, not only to maintain the tetrameter of the poem but to give the line a bit more impact: "Yes, I realise I owe a debt" And I would give the poem a once over to normalize the punctuation As I had said, these are really cosmetic in nature and this is a very well executed piece, clear in its message, competent in the transition from an ode to a lament and highly entertaining. I too am a huge fan of Tolkien. His style of writing, the scope of his vision, his ability to tell a story in an entertaining and enduring fashion, and his resistance to cheapening that story once he was successful. Again, well done. --Jonathan Annoying the world, one person at a time (Group discounts available)

I thought this an enjoyable tribute to Tolkien, after whose characters we've named three of our dogs, all Doberman Pincers: one, Frodo, two, Shadowfax and three, Beren, marvelous boys, all. I thought your rhythm and flow was excellent. Have patience, your granddaughters will come around. I was past 30 when I discovered Tolkien's magic. Some of his and/or C.S. Lewis's biographical/autobiographical works are fascinating--about their Cambridge (I think, correct me if I'm wrong) days, and their rivalries and discussions about religion (Tolkien was the religious one at first)and their writer's club (Ink something---name has left me, among much else). Yours, Deelilah

thats really all i can say to this i love it