BILBO’S SONG

by J.R.R.Tolkien

I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
Of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
With morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
When winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

It must seem odd to see a post on aging here. Children are mostly unaware of adult aging. I can remember wondering how adults could find someone the correct age to date, they all seemed about the same vintage to me. If all goes well, children do not have to realize that someday the world will go on without them in it, or without someone they love in it. Some children have to face loss, and how in the world do we help them?

It might help to have encountered a few stories where a character faces a sad event and gets through it. Stories appropriate to the age and sensitivity level of your child are out there, and you probably know a few. I will provide some of my favorite titles in the next post. Today, I wanted to share just one such story, in the above poem. It could be a good discussion starter for children in sixth grade or above.

For Tolkien people, this poem appears in “The Fellowship of the Ring”. Bilbo is outfitting Frodo for his quest, passing on to him his sword and cloak. Bilbo knows that his own adventuring days are over. If you want to avoid launching into distracting talk about how cool the movies were, don’t use Bilbo’s name at first, and let your students tell you what the poem is about. What age is the person in the poem? Who are the “people long ago”? Who will see a world that he will never know? Do they know anyone who might be thinking similar thoughts? Why not end with: Is there anyone they know who could use a visit or a letter? Have them write an actual letter in their own handwriting and introduce them to a postage stamp, grandparents will appreciate it.