There are lots of different types of poetry and songs in the book, from sorrowful to joyous, from prophetic to reminiscent. One of the strongest themes that run throughout the trilogy is songs of mourning and loss, including the lament the elves sing to Gandalf in Lothlorien, after he falls from the bridge of Khazad-Dum, a song that Aragorn and Legolas sing in grief at the death of Boromir at the hands of the Uruk-hai, during the Fellowship of the Ring, and a mourning for the death of King Theoden and the other brave soldiers who died in the battle of Pelennor Fields, as well as the song that Eowyn, who sacrificed a lot for Middle Earth, sings for her cousin Theodred as he is laid into the burial mounds at Rohan in the Two Towers.
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In opposition to this, there are a plethora of fun and joyful songs that appear across the three books, such as the fire-side tunes in the house of Tom Bombadil, which didn’t make it into the films, the drunken songs of Merry and Pippin, the youngest members of the fellowship, at the Green Dragon Inn, and Treebeard’s poems in the Forest of Fangorn. These poems and songs show the light-hearted folkish nature of Tolkien’s writing and highlight the importance of breaking up darkness and tension with comedy and high spirits.
Among all of these wonderful songs and poems within the books, there are 3 songs in particular, and one prophecy, that stand out the most in the film adaptations. The first of which is Pippin’s song ‘Edge Of Night’, which is sung for Denethor the Steward of Gondor in his vast halls. This is one of the most powerful scenes of the trilogy, in which Pippin’s beautiful, haunting melody is overlaid across the juxtaposition of Denethor in all his great wealth, chewing on juicy tomatoes and cracking the bones of a roasted chicken, whilst his son Faramir and the other brave men who follow him are dying in Osgilith at the steward’s command. Billy Boyd, the actor who plays Pippin, came up with the melody himself and sang the words in such a pure and painful way, that it really created the emotion of the scene for the audience. The words for the song are taken from a poem entitled ‘A Walking Song’ in the third chapter of the Fellowship of the Ring ‘Three is Company.’
Another incredibly recognisable song that was actually composed and sung by an actor who played one of the lead characters is Aragorn’s song at his coronation. Using words from the chapter ‘The Steward and the King’ in which Aragorn receives the crown and utters the words of his ancestors ‘Elendil’s Oath.’ Fran Walsh helped to write the words that Viggo Mortensen then sang to his own tune and cadence. The song has a great significance for his character as it is his way of living up to his Numenorian blood, and proving that the line of Isildur is not in fact broken and that there are still great kings, with great strength, in the world of Men.
Shortly after this scene, as the fellowship part ways back to their homes. Sam is reunited with Bill The Pony, Merry and Pippin each find their places within the shire, but Frodo finds that he can no longer settle back into his life in Middle Earth. He decides to take the last ship to the Undying Lands, the final resting place of the elves, and say goodbye to the friends that have been with him throughout his journey. The emotive scene is accompanied by arguably the most well-known song of the films: “Into The West.”
Sung by Annie Lennox and written by Fran Walsh, the lyrics to the song are that of sadness and letting go, but also of hope, and promises of a better world awaiting beyond the white shores. The words are influenced by Legolas’ lament in a chapter titled ‘The Fields Of Cormallen’ in which he says lines like “the white gulls are crying” and “Grey ship, grey ship, do you hear them calling.” These lines particularly spoke to the Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson at the time, because a dear friend of theirs, a talented young director by the name of Cameron Duncan, who worked with them on some of the Lord of the Rings sets, was losing his battle with cancer at the time. The song became their tribute to him at his funeral.
And then, of course, there is one final poem that must be mentioned. It forms a prophecy that details much of the core strength of the book and gives faith to all of those who are fighting against the evil Lord Sauron in the dark times of the war of the ring. It appears in the film adaptation in the words of Arwen, as she convinces her father Elrond of Rivendell to reforge Aragorn’s sword Narsil. The words ‘From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king’ details the might and the courage of the hobbits on their journey, a new hope once the darkness has been defeated, and the return of the rightful king to Gondor, who will restore the world to peace and prosperity for all of Middle Earth’s Creatures.
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