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Bilbo's Last Song (At the Grey Havens)


Day is ended, dim my eyes,
But journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call.
The ship's beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey;
beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free;
I hear the rising of the sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,
the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie,
beneath the ever-bending sky,
but islands lie behind the Sun
that I shall raise ere all is done;
lands there are to west of West,
where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,
beyond the utmost harbour-bar,
I'll find the heavens fair and free,
and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship my ship! I seek the West,
and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last.
I see the star above my mast!

Notes

The poem does not itself actually appear in The Return of the King , the
last volume of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy, but takes place at it's
very end, when many of the principal heroes of the War of the Ring prepare
to set sail into the West, to leave Middle Earth forever: among them the
great wizard Gandalf the White; Frodo Baggins, the great Ringbearer; and
his elder Bilbo, who found the Ring so long before.

" 'Well, here at last, dear friends," [said Gandalf], "on the shores of
the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I
will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.'

Then Frodo kissed Merry and Pippin, and last of all Sam, and went aboard;
and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped
away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that
Frodo bore glimmered and was lost.

-Chapter 9, "The Gray Havens", The Return of the King

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Comments

1 - 20 of 20
  • Frodofan
    February 23
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    Tolkien capitalized the word "I" I can assure you. This would disgust him!


    • I-Like-Rhymes Moderators member
      February 23
      Edit | Reply
      Thanks for the message Frodofan. Noted and changed. My apologies to you and JRRT.
      Jim

  • Boiled Candy
    October 3, 2005
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    Thankyou for the compliment. I will say that it did take me a couple of months to read the books but it wasn't hard, I loved them. I'm still working on the Silmarillion though - I don't know if I'll ever finish reading it. I want to it's just... I think I'm going to read it now.

  • The Fallen Poet
    October 1, 2005
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    I have to Agree with Elfin... I haven't finished Reading my LOTR yet (just about to finish The TWO Towers), so far I'd have to say that it is Great, and Tolkien was a genius of a writer, something for me to strive towards. Although I do not think I could be as good ever, I don't know if anyone could touch what Tolkien had done. Anyways about this poem. its a great poem and definately adds to the feel of the ending, the heavy ending. One that was both sad and happy at the same time. I don't think it could have been pulled off any better than it was.

  • Elfin
    September 30, 2005
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    Boiled Candy for someone so young when you first read LOTR how well you interpreted the story. Tolkien is not the easiest of authors to read, but he is certainly one of the best as far as I'm concerned

  • Boiled Candy
    September 27, 2005
    Edit | Reply
    Frodo leaves because
    a) He loves Bilbo
    but also
    because the elven race holds almost all of the beauty in the world to him and without Bilbo it's adventures have ended

    During his journey Frodo's personality took a huge hit and he was changed very dramatically. He will always feel the pain of his wound from Weathertop (the dagger wound to his shoulder) and will always long for the ring. His view of the world has been dimmed and he has no way of brightening it again. So, he does what I assume most people would do, he leaves for a brighter place.

    This is my interpretation anyway, I have read the books but I was about 13 (I'm now 17) and I think I have to read them again. I hope I helped and didn't give any wrong info' but like I said it was 4 years ago.

  • alwaysthere
    September 27, 2005
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    this is a really great poem but i dnt understand why frodo went on i mean he was still young and yet his friends stayed behind wouldnt he want to stay with them and enjoy what he saved? as you can tell i havnt read the book, BUT i did watch the movie, can sumone please inform me why that happens lol. thanks

  • chatter
    September 26, 2005
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    i love tolkien, and not just the 'trilogy' but what he did with his life and what he accomplished. i think that there should be a list of especially acclaimed poets who have changed the world, and writing. i think that this list should be on ap, and accessible and of course that he should be on it.
    peace
    chatter

  • neptune386
    September 26, 2005
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    I myslef have never been able to pick up the Lord of the Rings trilogy and get beyond the 3rd chapter, but this poem is incentive enough for me to want to try my hand at it again.

    Alyssa

  • Elrenia
    September 26, 2005
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    What a perfect ending to a long tale. The journey is almost ended, only the arrival at the promised end. After all that is gone through, how wonderful to know that there really is such a place for us, if we choose to follow the path there. I wonder if he knew how beloved his world would be today.

  • Jazzyjune
    September 26, 2005
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    Uh! This is SUCH a lovely poem. It makes me feel as if I was there and I love Tolkien's language. It is beautiful!!!
    He is an amazing author.
    ~~~Jazz~~~

  • Lady anairO
    September 26, 2005
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    This is again enchanting. Tolkien is a GENIUS. The rhymes flow with such a peaceful and easy rythm. I admire his works. And this one was fantastic like all the other things he produces. Enchanting. *bows down and twirls*

    Lady anairO

  • Willow
    September 26, 2005
    Edit | Reply
    With the death of our member Del Warren Livingston, this is a perfect poem. He has gotten on that boat and his soul is soaring towards the sun. How ironic that the members of Old Poetry would choose such a poem on this day. A perfect send off.


    Willow


    Edited on Sep 26, 1:41 p.m. because ''.

  • donnz
    September 26, 2005
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    . . . and echoes that which lives within.

  • Lonely
    September 26, 2005
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    ah... such a lovely piece....... *cries*

  • MindOphelia
    September 26, 2005
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    This is a wonderful, beautiful selection for the old poem of the day. It's different from other old poems because the world Tolkien created is so well known, and the poem is so open and clean.

  • greeneyedmuse
    September 26, 2005
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    i didn't know tolkin was a poet! he's one of my favorite authors and and love the lord of the rings story. this poem is such a beautiful representation of bilbo and the beauty of middle earth.
    ~sammy

  • quietly burning
    September 26, 2005
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    yes the poetry is wonderful within the context that we all know. That moment at the end of the 3rd movie was priceless and the song by Annie Lennox .... amazing "into the west" check it out.

  • Dead Kennedy Rolls
    January 27, 2005
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    love it. it completely describes the part where bilbo (one of my favorite characters if not my fav., goes sailing off...) this guy was the master folks.

  • Diamond Dust
    December 10, 2004
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    This has to be my favorite of Tolkein's works. People rant and rave about his books, and the movies, but his poems are hideously neglected. Ths is absolutely great!
    ~~~~~~ Erika ~~~~~
    Edited on Jan 29, 9:11 p.m. because 'typo'.

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