The Marsh Where the Dead Sleep by Narya

Fanwork Notes

A poem, written for the Tolkien Short Fanworks January challenge. The formal challenge was 'cumulative'; the rhythm and structure of the poem was inspired by The House That Jack Built. The thematic challenge was 'building'. I was aiming for a slow build of tension – not sure if that counts!

This poem takes a few liberties with the Dead Marshes and its inhabitants as depicted in the book. It's influenced by, but not totally aligned to, the film version. I think it's probably a children's poem from the Fourth Age or later.

Fanwork Information

Summary: “They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water. I saw them: grim faces and evil, and noble faces and sad. Many faces proud and fair, and weeds in their silver hair. But all foul, all rotting, all dead...” - 'The Passage of the Marshes' from The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien. Major Characters: Major Relationships: Genre: Poetry Challenges: Rating: General Warnings:
Chapters: 1	Word Count: 465
Posted on 1 January 2024	Updated on 1 January 2024
This fanwork is complete.