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Tolkien's Glee: A Reading of the Songs in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings
Lovers of Tolkien's works know well his penchant for including song lyrics and verse in his prose. This book offers a thorough reading of every piece of verse in the two best-known works of J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, beginning with the assumption that they were intended to delight through sound.
The thoughtful analysis focuses on the "music" of the songs, the sounds of the individual words, and the metrical patterns, and how they contribute to Tolkien's story and his themes. All specialized terms are defined in a glossary, and introduced side-by-side with clear, understandable explanations without oversimplification. The book discusses influences on Tolkien's verse from classical works, Old and Middle English, and modern English, though "source study" is expressly avoided.
The thoughtful analysis focuses on the "music" of the songs, the sounds of the individual words, and the metrical patterns, and how they contribute to Tolkien's story and his themes. All specialized terms are defined in a glossary, and introduced side-by-side with clear, understandable explanations without oversimplification. The book discusses influences on Tolkien's verse from classical works, Old and Middle English, and modern English, though "source study" is expressly avoided.
207 pages, Paperback
Published October 16, 2025
About the author
John R. Holmes
15 booksDr. John R. Holmes (Ph.D., British Romanticism, Kent State University; M.A., St. Bonaventure University; B.A., Journalism, Bonaventure U.) is Professor of English at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
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