Henneth Annûn Story Archive

This is ridiculous! I am Estel, hope of Men. Raised in the House of Elrond, raised by Elves and yet I am still unable to write poetry that does my lady justice. The Elves of Imladris all wander around singing to the stars, bursting into spontaneous, meter-perfect poems that they then sing for centuries. It is not as if I desire to serenade her by moonlight or – Valar forbid! – give them to her. It is just that Arwen’s beauty and perfection is such that I wish to write something that would do her justice. Anyway, even if I was foolish enough to give anything to her, she might be kind enough to humour me; but the twins would be sure to find them, and they most assuredly would not. It is not even as if the twins are so very perfect anyway. I suppose that they do occasionally perform in the Hall of Fire, but it was they who came up with that inane song when Mithrandir and Bilbo and the dwarves visited. Eru alone knows why they found it amusing. They had only just come back with their patrol, and after my foster father heard that particular song a couple of times he almost sent them straight back again.

To Arwen: My love, thou art full My love, thou art my joy

I know! I can cheat practise by using the repeating triple line poem that Erestor tried to teach me.

My love, so fair and full of grace Thou art my strength, my joy.

There. I have the main part of the poem, and I think the meter might even be correct. However the first line only has 8 syllables in it – maybe I should change it to 10 syllables so that there is a greater contrast between the two lines.

My love, thou art so fair and full of grace Thou art my strength, my joy.

It’s difficult, I cannot decide which one looks better. If I use the 10-syllable line, I then have to use 10 syllables in my next line. Which was going to be:

Deepens at the sight of your face

And is now going to have to be:

Deepens at the sight of your lovely face

The first way of writing that line is not really descriptive enough for Arwen. Her face is lovely, so very lovely, and adding that one word doesn’t ruin the meter that much. So that means I’m using 10 syllables and 6 syllables, which means that I have to use ‘thou art’ in the first line. Well, the repetition of ‘thou art’ shows how much she means to me – what a good idea.

My love, thou art so fair and full of grace - Thou art my strength. My joy Deepens at the sight of your lovely face. My love, thou art so fair and full of grace My love, thou art so fair and full of grace, Thou art my strength, my joy.

So I have to find a word that rhymes with ‘face’ and ‘grace’, and a word that rhymes with ‘joy’. (Come to think of it, I’m going to have to have to hide this really well if I don’t want Elladan or Elrohir to find it. They have a really bad habit of coming into my room and ‘borrowing’ my things.) grace face brace base case chase mace lace place pace race space trace disgrace replace embrace joy boy toy deploy destroy enjoy I think I might have chosen bad rhyming words.

Looking at you I enjoy Yet to you I am a boy Beside you I am a boy To you I am a boy

I suppose that will have to do. I would prefer having lines 2 or 3, but that would be too many syllables. Writing poetry is harder that it looks, no wonder hardly anyone (besides Elves, of course) bothers with it.

Of a different race A child, of a doomed, mortal race A child of men: an ephemeral race

The meter in that line isn’t perfect, but it will do. I just have to make sure it makes sense – which is always useful.

To Arwen: My love, thou art so fair and full of grace - Thou art my strength. My joy Deepens at the sight of your lovely face. My love, thou art so fair and full of grace; To you I am a boy, A child of men: an ephemeral race. My love, thou art so fair and full of grace, Thou art my strength, my joy.

It is alright, I suppose. Although I’m not sure if I like the way the second line runs into the third.

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To Elladan and Elrohir: If you are reading this I will be very displeased. It is private. Besides, you have both composed songs and poetry to maidens before, so I would deem it unwise for you to do anything with this. To Mother: It does not matter, really it does not. Elladan and Erohir frequently decide they like maidens. To Father: If you are reading this, I am so sorry. To Arwen: If you are reading this, please, kill me now. Or I shall disappear into the wild and never ever return.

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