The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien Box Set: Three-Volume Box Set
Product ID: 619078826
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For the first time, a definitive collection of J.R.R. Tolkien’s poetry brings together the verse of the beloved author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . While millions have enjoyed the songs and poems embedded in his classic tales, the full scope of his poetic skill was known only to scholars―until now. This comprehensive literary history charts his lifelong journey as a poet, from his earliest work to the verses he wrote in his final years. This landmark collection gathers the full breadth of his verse, revealing the evolution of a master storyteller and the creative fires that forged Middle-earth: A Lifetime of Verse: Follow Tolkien’s poetic journey, from a limerick written at age twelve and poignant First World War poetry to the profound verses composed alongside his beloved fiction. The Songs of Middle-earth: Discover early poems that became the foundation for The Silmarillion , including the first appearance of Eärendel, alongside celebrated verses from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . Echoes of Ancient Lays: Delve into Tolkien’s skillful translations of epic works like Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight , and see how the Finnish Kalevala and Norse sagas influenced his own mythology. From Whimsical to Epic: Experience the full range of Tolkien’s talent, from the playful rhymes of Tom Bombadil and comic bestiary poems to the mythic grandeur of The Fall of Arthur and the heartbreaking tales of his legendarium. Review: A treasure of a collection, with informed and insightful commentary - The idea for “The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien” started in 2016, when Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond were invited by HarperCollins to a meeting to discuss collecting and publishing Tolkien’s poems. That led to an enthusiastic response from Christopher Tolkien, his father’s literary executor, and the project was born. The editors are both Tolkien scholars, and they keep their work in the family – they’re married. They’ve published at least 10 books on Tolkien and countless articles, and their work has been recognized with several awards. She’s British, he’s American, and so represent the interest in Tolkien from both sides of the Atlantic (it should also be noted that Tolkien’s popularity is worldwide). In short, they were the ideal working team to undertake collecting the poems. Christopher Tolkien died in 2020, so he didn’t see the final product. But by then, Scull and Hammond write in the introduction, he had seen enough to endorse their approach for the poems. I think he would find the published result to be worthy of his father’s work. The proems are organized chronologically. Volume One cover the period 1910-1919; it also includes the introduction (don’t skip it; it’s a treasury of useful information). Volume Two covers 1919-1931, and Volume Three covers 193-1967. Thus Volume Three includes the poems of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” but not all of them: Schull and Hammond selected the most important ones. Including them all would have likely required a fourth volume, and they (and the publisher) were committed to three. Volume Three also includes five appendices – limericks, Latin adages, poem lists, word lists, and a poem in Old English; and a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. It doesn’t take long before you realize that you’re holding a major work of Tolkien scholarship. With many of the poems, Scull and Hammond discovered there were two and often several versions of the same work; they include all they found. A total of 195 poems are included in the three books, with commentary provided by the editors on each. This is Poem No. 195, written in tribute of W.H. Auden on his 60th birthday (1967). In the 1920s, Auden had read English at Oxford; he’d heard Tolkien lecture on “Beowulf” and apparently had been blown away. At the time, the editors write, although a poor scholar himself, Auden had praised the lecture and the study of Old English. He also reviewed The Lord of the Rings very favorably and contributed a poem in a special book prepared for Tolkien’s 70th birthday in 1962. Tolkien reciprocated with this poem, written in Old English and contemporary English. To W.H.A. Among the people of the earth, one has poetry in him, fashions verses with art; one is fluent in words, has persuasive eloquence sound and lucid; one is a reader of books and richly stores his mind with memory of much wisdom and legends of old that long ago were learned and related by loremasters; one is a mate to choose, a man to trust, whose friendship’s call faithfully answers. Another I know of noble-hearted, to whom all these gifts in his early days the favour of Fate freely granted. Now wide is his renown. Wystan his name is, as it once was also of the Waegmunding in his far country, father of Wiglaf most loyal of lieges, and in later time of Wighelm’s son who in war was slain at Byrhtnoth’s side by the Blackwater in the famous defeat. He follows after, and now anew that name uses to his own honour. Auden some call him, and so among men may he be remembered ever, where as they sit by themselves for solace of heart the word-lovers, wise and skilful, revive the vanished voices of makers. Yes, I can see that the poem was written by the same hand who wrote those great songs and poems of Middle-earth. I could easily overuse superlatives in describing “The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien.” Suffice it to say it’s a treasure, a wonderful collection of poetry, coupled with informed and insightful commentary. Review: The Work Of A Lifetime - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is well known as a consummate master of fantasy fiction, but most of his readers are less familiar with the broad range of his poetry. That's unfortunate, because Tolkien wrote poetry throughout his life. The poetry for which he is best known is that which is included in his best known prose works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but that is only a sampling of his work. Now the eminent Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond have produced a masterpiece of their own, a three volume collection of Tolkien's poems, arranged chronologically from 1910 to 1967. Many of the poems have never been published before. Each poem is provided with an explanatory introduction, a detailed analysis, and when possible with drafts and abandoned versions. There is a thorough Introduction and Chronology in the first volume, and for convenience's sake the full Table of Contents is included with each volume. The books themselves are things of beauty, carefully bound with artwork by Tolkien on the front of each volume with ribbon bookmarkers and a slipcase which is also handsomely decorated with Tolkien's art. I anticipate spending many happy hours reading and studying Tolkien's poetry, from his first youthful efforts through his wartime reveries and then on into his mature work, as he began to develop what became his lifetime work, the so-called Matter of Middle-earth. The Collected Poems of JRR Tolkien is a masterpiece by a master artist, diligently annotated by two of his most scholarly readers, in a format as beautiful as Middle-earth itself.
G**G
A treasure of a collection, with informed and insightful commentary
The idea for “The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien” started in 2016, when Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond were invited by HarperCollins to a meeting to discuss collecting and publishing Tolkien’s poems. That led to an enthusiastic response from Christopher Tolkien, his father’s literary executor, and the project was born. The editors are both Tolkien scholars, and they keep their work in the family – they’re married. They’ve published at least 10 books on Tolkien and countless articles, and their work has been recognized with several awards. She’s British, he’s American, and so represent the interest in Tolkien from both sides of the Atlantic (it should also be noted that Tolkien’s popularity is worldwide). In short, they were the ideal working team to undertake collecting the poems. Christopher Tolkien died in 2020, so he didn’t see the final product. But by then, Scull and Hammond write in the introduction, he had seen enough to endorse their approach for the poems. I think he would find the published result to be worthy of his father’s work. The proems are organized chronologically. Volume One cover the period 1910-1919; it also includes the introduction (don’t skip it; it’s a treasury of useful information). Volume Two covers 1919-1931, and Volume Three covers 193-1967. Thus Volume Three includes the poems of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” but not all of them: Schull and Hammond selected the most important ones. Including them all would have likely required a fourth volume, and they (and the publisher) were committed to three. Volume Three also includes five appendices – limericks, Latin adages, poem lists, word lists, and a poem in Old English; and a glossary, a bibliography, and an index. It doesn’t take long before you realize that you’re holding a major work of Tolkien scholarship. With many of the poems, Scull and Hammond discovered there were two and often several versions of the same work; they include all they found. A total of 195 poems are included in the three books, with commentary provided by the editors on each. This is Poem No. 195, written in tribute of W.H. Auden on his 60th birthday (1967). In the 1920s, Auden had read English at Oxford; he’d heard Tolkien lecture on “Beowulf” and apparently had been blown away. At the time, the editors write, although a poor scholar himself, Auden had praised the lecture and the study of Old English. He also reviewed The Lord of the Rings very favorably and contributed a poem in a special book prepared for Tolkien’s 70th birthday in 1962. Tolkien reciprocated with this poem, written in Old English and contemporary English. To W.H.A. Among the people of the earth, one has poetry in him, fashions verses with art; one is fluent in words, has persuasive eloquence sound and lucid; one is a reader of books and richly stores his mind with memory of much wisdom and legends of old that long ago were learned and related by loremasters; one is a mate to choose, a man to trust, whose friendship’s call faithfully answers. Another I know of noble-hearted, to whom all these gifts in his early days the favour of Fate freely granted. Now wide is his renown. Wystan his name is, as it once was also of the Waegmunding in his far country, father of Wiglaf most loyal of lieges, and in later time of Wighelm’s son who in war was slain at Byrhtnoth’s side by the Blackwater in the famous defeat. He follows after, and now anew that name uses to his own honour. Auden some call him, and so among men may he be remembered ever, where as they sit by themselves for solace of heart the word-lovers, wise and skilful, revive the vanished voices of makers. Yes, I can see that the poem was written by the same hand who wrote those great songs and poems of Middle-earth. I could easily overuse superlatives in describing “The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien.” Suffice it to say it’s a treasure, a wonderful collection of poetry, coupled with informed and insightful commentary.
J**D
The Work Of A Lifetime
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is well known as a consummate master of fantasy fiction, but most of his readers are less familiar with the broad range of his poetry. That's unfortunate, because Tolkien wrote poetry throughout his life. The poetry for which he is best known is that which is included in his best known prose works, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but that is only a sampling of his work. Now the eminent Tolkien scholars Christina Scull and Wayne Hammond have produced a masterpiece of their own, a three volume collection of Tolkien's poems, arranged chronologically from 1910 to 1967. Many of the poems have never been published before. Each poem is provided with an explanatory introduction, a detailed analysis, and when possible with drafts and abandoned versions. There is a thorough Introduction and Chronology in the first volume, and for convenience's sake the full Table of Contents is included with each volume. The books themselves are things of beauty, carefully bound with artwork by Tolkien on the front of each volume with ribbon bookmarkers and a slipcase which is also handsomely decorated with Tolkien's art. I anticipate spending many happy hours reading and studying Tolkien's poetry, from his first youthful efforts through his wartime reveries and then on into his mature work, as he began to develop what became his lifetime work, the so-called Matter of Middle-earth. The Collected Poems of JRR Tolkien is a masterpiece by a master artist, diligently annotated by two of his most scholarly readers, in a format as beautiful as Middle-earth itself.
J**D
Spectacular
Beautiful, must-have set.
P**9
Very nice edition
This is an excellent edition, if you are interested in textual criticism. A lot of the poems have multiple drafts included, as Tolkien would return to a poem an tinker with it over a period of time (sometimes decades.) It is really interesting to see how he would edit and reedit poems, sometimes over a 50+ year period. In terms of book bindings, it is excellent. A wonderful gift for the Tolkien fan.
N**H
A Beautiful Work of Tolkien Scholarship
The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien is a masterful work of scholarship by Scull & Hammond—the Tolkien experts who authored the invaluable The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion (which I have pored over for almost two decades). This collection of Tolkien’s poetry is beautifully printed in three volumes with a sturdy slipcase, and cover art by Tolkien himself. Wizard hats off to William Morrow/Harper Collins publishers for such a reasonably priced ($125.00 USD) and handsomely produced publication. There are 250 annotated poems included in the collection—the earliest written when Tolkien was eighteen. 70 of the works have never been published, such as the poem "Scatha the Worm" (some incredible backstory/lore here for anyone who wants to know more about the horn that Eowyn gave Merry as a parting gift for his bravery…a horn she mentioned, in passing, that came from the hoard of Scatha). Indeed, there’s a dragon’s hoard of Tolkien literary treasure contained within these volumes. And Scull & Hammond have once again brought together something magical for anyone interested in Tolkien’s life and Legendarium.
C**S
Great
Beautiful set of books
E**T
A Work of Beauty
First off, I am a huge fan of the works of J>R.R. Tolkien. This set of books of his poetry from early days thru his writing of Lord of The Rings & beyond is not only a lovely read, it is a lovely set of books just to look at. Hammond & Scull know their stuff & it's an excellent addition to any Tolkien library.
A**S
Beautiful inside and out
A must have for any Tolkien fan!
G**O
Amazing anthology
Hammond & Scull’s work is always wonderful, but I think that this time they went even further: this anthology is the most complete, meticulous and passionate that I’ve ever seen. I’m especially enthusiast for the poems that were unpublished, till now, like the Lay of the Fall of Gondolin and the rhymed couplets of the Children of Húrin. Above all, I’m happy that somebody is assuming the task to continue the work of Christopher Tolkien, since his son seems too busy in other diversions.
T**A
Poor handling
Book is legit however the physical item arrived in damaged condition twice
M**A
Prachtige collectie
Dit is een prachtige boekenset met mooie gedichten. Je moet wel een beetje een liefhebber zijn van de werken van Tolkien om hier goed doorheen te komen. Als je een fan van de histories bent, is deze set zeker een aanrader.
M**O
Superbe collection de poèmes.
Livres de très grande qualité.
M**S
Lohnt sich !
Sehr schöne Ausgabe !
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