Motionless in Time by The Wavesinger

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Fanwork Notes

I'm extremely nervous about this, because I'm new in the Tolkien fandom (though not new to writing fanfiction) and it seems...presumptous of me to write a lot of drabbles before doing anything solid. 

But I've noticed, recently, that when I read poetry, I immediately link it to The Silmarillion, to a specific scene in it. And so drabbles are born. Granted, none of them are any good, but sometimes I have a sudden urge to share them--but I'm scared to.

So...this became one of my Season of Writing Dangerously projects. And here it is.

The title is from Ars Poetica by Archibal MacLeish, though the meaning has been twisted (I think)

Warnings in individual chapters.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

#5: Aredhel, trapped in Gondolin.

A collection of fixed-length fic(let)s, each based on a line (or lines) of a poem/play.

Major Characters: Aredhel, Beren, Elrond, Fingon, Gil-galad, Lúthien Tinúviel, Maedhros, Nessa, Turgon

Major Relationships:

Genre: Experimental, Fixed-Length Ficlet, General, Romance, Slash/Femslash

Challenges:

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn

Chapters: 5 Word Count: 2, 322
Posted on 3 August 2013 Updated on 25 October 2015

This fanwork is a work in progress.

Table of Contents

Poem: Invictus by W.E. Henley

Line: I am the master of my fate

Summary: Before his death, Gil-galad reflects.

Characters: Gil-galad, Elrond

Notes: Nai Vardo eleni siluva lyenna, Aran Meletyalda—may the stars of Varda shine upon you, Your Majesty. Naintë inyë siluvalyë, Elerondo—may they shine upon you too, Elrond. Both of these phrases are probably full of errors, but I needed to emphasize that these lines were in Quenya and the rest in Sindarin.

Words: 600

Poem: Museum Piece by Richard Wilbut

Lines: See how she spins! The grace is there/But strain as well is plain to see.

Summary: The Valië of joy contemplates her burden.

Character: Nessa

Notes: Vaiaro is an old and very likely obsolete name for Ulmo, meaning Lord of Vaiya.

 

Poem: The Lake Isle of Innisfree by William Butler Yeats

Line: And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow

Summary: This once in the history of Arda, valour, love, and sacrifice will reap their reward.

Characters/Relationships: Beren, Lúthien, Beren/Lúthien

Notes: Not much substance, just musings. For Crackers, as an apology.

Word count: 100

Poem: When You Are Old by William Butler Yeats

Lines: Murmur, a little sadly, how loved fled/ And paced upon the mountains overhead/ And hid his face amid a crown of stars

Summary: Fingon has a dream. Afterwards, Fingon and Turgon talk.

Characters/Relationships: Fingon, Turgon, Maedhros; Fingon/Maedhros, brief Turgon/Elenwë

Warnings: Torture, implied cousin-cest

Music: Hold On by Aiden Grimshaw (the perfect Maedhros song, actually)

Notes: I follow Myths Transformed in a lot of thing, hence the mentions of the Sun. A warning: this is worse than my usual, so read at your own risk. Also, grammar and spelling leave a lot to be desired. I tried, but somehow when I try to change the grammar, the whole piece is destroyed.

Word count: 999, according to the notoriously wrong Microsoft

Poem: Sympathy by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Lines: I know what the caged bird feels, alas!/When the sun is bright on the upland slopes

Summary: Aredhel, trapped in Gondolin

Characters/Relationships: Aredhel, background Aredhel/OFC

Warnings: Sexism, minor allusion to homophobia.

Notes: This is a thinly-veiled, self-indulgent rant. Don’t ask. (Also, first time writing Aredhel. Yay?) Many thanks to Himring for pointing out those two typos *blushes*.

Word count: 450


Comments

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I hope your nervousness has abated somewhat, because this is excellent! I love the strong voice you're using for Gil-galad while still acknowledging the uncertainty in his choice (I for one wouldn't call it entirely selfish, and you've made him very sympathetic in wanting that choice to begin with), and the idea of the Noldor still labouring under the Doom of Mandos seems to fit in well with the way we know the story went - it's bitter, but I love this observation too, and the way this twists the poem (it does!) is wonderful. Well done, and (if a review is the right place to say this), welcome to the fandom. I hope you found a comfy spot. :)

Another wonderful ficlet with a bitter insight - I never believed the idea that not all of the Valar had a purpose (especially the minor women like Vána or Nessa), and this hammers home that they all had important (and sometimes strenuous) work, even though it may not be entirely appreciated.