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A review by grrr8_catsby
The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun by Christopher Tolkien, J.R.R. Tolkien, Verlyn Flieger
2.5
I am not a fan of poetry.
I was content on never attempting poetry again, in all honesty. But, when at a local library book sale I saw J.R.R. Tolkien's name on the cover, I took a chance on a $1 book.
Tolkien, of course, is synonymous with The Lord Of The Rings; The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun takes place outside of Middle-earth, and joins other reworkings of classic works (The Legend Of Sigurd And Cudruin, The Fall Of Arthur, etc). The Lay OF Aotrou and Itroun takes place during Tolkien's Celtic era, and heavily draws inspiration from Celtic folklore and fairytales.
The main entry in this book is the titular The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun. If all poetry read as this one does, I would have no qualms about reading poetry. At just 505 lines, Tolkien effortlessly masters rhythm, tone, and narrative. Truly, The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun reads as if Dr. Seuss wrote about infertility and fidelity.
Also included in this book are The Corrigan Poems (The Corrigan I and The Corrigan II). These poems stand at a stark contrast from The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun. These poems are much too short, rhythmically inconsistent, and so heavily rely on pre-existing knowledge of Celtic folklore, that they remain consistent with my previous perception of poetry.
Also included in this book are notes and commentary to help further describe and support the poems.
Does The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun change my opinion on poetry? Of course not. However, it does cement J.R.R. Tolkien as one of the best authors of all time.
I was content on never attempting poetry again, in all honesty. But, when at a local library book sale I saw J.R.R. Tolkien's name on the cover, I took a chance on a $1 book.
Tolkien, of course, is synonymous with The Lord Of The Rings; The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun takes place outside of Middle-earth, and joins other reworkings of classic works (The Legend Of Sigurd And Cudruin, The Fall Of Arthur, etc). The Lay OF Aotrou and Itroun takes place during Tolkien's Celtic era, and heavily draws inspiration from Celtic folklore and fairytales.
The main entry in this book is the titular The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun. If all poetry read as this one does, I would have no qualms about reading poetry. At just 505 lines, Tolkien effortlessly masters rhythm, tone, and narrative. Truly, The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun reads as if Dr. Seuss wrote about infertility and fidelity.
Also included in this book are The Corrigan Poems (The Corrigan I and The Corrigan II). These poems stand at a stark contrast from The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun. These poems are much too short, rhythmically inconsistent, and so heavily rely on pre-existing knowledge of Celtic folklore, that they remain consistent with my previous perception of poetry.
Also included in this book are notes and commentary to help further describe and support the poems.
Does The Lay Of Aotrou And Itroun change my opinion on poetry? Of course not. However, it does cement J.R.R. Tolkien as one of the best authors of all time.