A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
He was the first to fall
The fair one
Whose darkened eyes bore pain
Of love long scorned
He was the first to fall
The bold one
Who once rode by Orome’s side
And hunted far
He was the one most like to rage and fury
The one who loved and laughed and felt the most
The golden hair is matted blue eyes clouded
Blood painting patterns on the frozen floor
He was the first to fall
The swift one
Quelled to stillness by sword
The steel of death
He was the first to fall
The fair one
The first one into battle
And the last to leave