| Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien | |
| Dark | |
|---|---|
| Poem Information | |
| Other names | Copernicus v. Ptolemy, Copernicus and Ptolemy, Þéostru |
| Written | 21 December of 1914 |
| Revised | 8 March of 1915, Between 1917 and 1924 |
| Published | The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien |
| Subject(s) | Ptolemy, Nicolaus Copernicus |
Dark[1], or Þéostru,[2] is a lyric[2] poem that was written by J.R.R. Tolkien in December of 1914.[3]
Dark describes the night sky and Earth's cosmological place in it. The two alternate titles refer to Ptolemy, the ancient mathematician who proposed the geocentric model of the solar system which remained popular for centuries, and Nicolaus Copernicus, who first proposed the heliocentric model, and the tensions that arose between adherants to the two models afterwards, especially the Catholic Church. Tolkien apparently found some interest in this matter.[2]
Poem excerpt
The sun is gone, and all the Earth is dark
and hushed; the bow of her great sable breast
stands curvëd and huge against the farthest skirts
of that black canopy that roofs us in —
its height is markëd only by the Stars,[2]
Background
On 21 December of 1914, Tolkien wrote the first version of a poem which he entitled Dark.[3]
Possibly[2] on 8 March of 1915, Tolkien rewrote the poem and renamed it to Copernicus v. Ptolemy before rewriting it again and changing the name to Copernicus and Ptolemy.[2] In this version, Tolkien gave the poem the Old English name Þéostru ("Darkness").[2] Tolkien eventually revised this version,[2] before sending this version along with Wood-sunshine[4] and As Two Fair Trees[4] to his friends Christopher Wiseman and Geoffrey Bache Smith.[5]
On 25 March, Smith sent a letter to Tolkien, noting his approval of the poem.[6] In the afternoon[7] of 25 April, Wiseman discussed Tolkien’s poems with Robert Quilter Gilson,[7] before sending a letter to Tolkien with comments on the poem, referring to it as Copernicus & Ptolemy.[4]
Wiseman later sent Tolkien more comments on the poem.[8]
At some date between 1917 and 1924, Tolkien made a final revision of the poem, changing the name to Dark.[2]
In 2024, the full poem was published for the first time in September as entry 20 in The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, "Poetry by J.R.R. Tolkien", p. 843 (entries "Copernicus and Ptolemy" and "Dark")
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 J.R.R. Tolkien; Christina Scull, Wayne G. Hammond (eds.), The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien, "20. Dark · Copernicus v. Ptolemy · Copernicus and Ptolemy (1914-?24)", pp. 114-9
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 58 (entry "21 December 1914")
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: II. Reader's Guide, p. 1106 (entry "Wiseman, Christopher Luke")
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 60 (entry "8 March 1915")
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 62 (entry "?25 March 1915")
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 64 (entry "Trinity Term 1915")
- ↑ Christina Scull and Wayne G. Hammond (2006), The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion and Guide: I. Chronology, p. 102 (entry "1 September, 7 and 10 October 1917")