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<<Previous Poem | View All Poems by J. R. R. Tolkien |

Upon the hearth the fire is red

J. R. R. Tolkien, J. R. R. Tolkien poetry, Christian, Christian poetry, Catholic poetry, [TRADITION SUB2] poetry,  poetry by J. R. R. Tolkien
(1892 - 1973) Timeline

Original Language
English

Christian : Catholic
20th Century

Upon the hearth the fire is red,
Beneath the roof there is a bed;
But not yet weary are our feet,
Still round the corner we may meet
A sudden tree or standing stone
That none have seen but we alone.
     Tree and flower and leaf and grass,
     Let them pass! Let them pass!
     Hill and water under sky,
     Pass them by! Pass them by!

Still round the corner there may wait
A new road or secret gate,
And though we pass them by today,
Tomorrow we may come this way
And take the hidden paths that run
Towards the Moon or to the Sun.
     Apple, thorn, and nut and sloe,
     Let them go! Let them go!
     Sand and stone and pool and dell,
     Fare you well! Fare you well!

Home is behind, the world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadows to the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Then world behind and home ahead,
We'll wander back to home and bed.
     Mist and twilight, cloud and shade,
     Away shall fade! Away shall fade!
     Fire and lamp, and meat and bread,
     And then to bed! And then to bed!

 

 

-- from The Lord of the Rings: One Vol. Edition, by J.R.R. Tolkien

Amazon.com

 

Themes

  Bower
  Bread
  Fire
  Food
  Garden


Recommended Books


The Lord of the Rings: One Vol. Edition, by J.R.R. Tolkien

 

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Commentary by Ivan M. Granger

Notes:

A lovely poem about the anticipation of a journey. And not just some grand road, but the small and hidden journeys that await us in the unseen corners of our daily world.

 

 


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Ivan M. Granger's original poetry, stories and commentaries are Copyright © 2002 - 2011 by Ivan M. Granger.
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