This short narrative poem by J. R. R. Tolkien details Bilbo’s final journey to the Grey Havens with the elves and his companions. Readers have the story brought to life by the beautiful illustrations of Pauline Baynes, whose uses great details and color to create a solemn atmosphere for this poem. Each set of two pages delights readers with a full-page illustration of the journey, some smaller images along the bottom and rhyming couplets from the poem.
I enjoyed this book, especially the subtle reminders of the Hobbit in the illustrations. Each new image illustrated page is impressive and was almost more delightful than the brief poem, considering it was the majority of the book. I highly recommend reading this poem, especially if you want to reminisce over other works by Tolkien.
For more information about this poem and its history visit Tolkien Gateway at this link. The poem is the final song of Bilbo after the Return of the King and completes his journey in Middle Earth (Tolkien Gateway, 2015). Baynes as noted before has illustrated the life of Bilbo and his companions in a beautiful way, when paired with the poem they create a wonderful introduction for new readers or conclusion for old. To read the poem in full check out some of the comments/reviews on Goodreads or the quotes section.
References
Goodreads.com. (2018). Bilbo’s last song (Middle-Earth universe). [Cover image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67939.Bilbo_s_Last_Song
Tolkien, J.R.R., and Baynes, P. [Illustrator]. (2002). Bilbo’s last song. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Tolkien Gateway. (2015). Bilbo’s last song. Retrieved from http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Bilbo%27s_Last_Song
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