"Sestina for Seven Sons"
Work: The Silmarillion
Genre: Poetry
Rating: PG
Characters: Fëanor and sons
A/N: I've recently gotten into writing sestinas, and I thought it would be nifty to write one for Fëanor and his seven sons (yes, the sestina is based on the number six, but whatever.) After reading a particular sestina (Endless Sestina, published in The Sandman: Book of Dreams) I realized it's possible to take some liberties with the words used. Each key word is associated with one of the sons (counting Amrod and Amras together) – either a translation of the name or something associated with that son. I'll include which phrases go with each son and why afterwards, in case you care. Now, if I were an English teacher I'd tell you that it's a poem about Fëanor but that the names of his sons are subtly inserted to show how he took advantage of his sons and only thought of himself – but I'm not, so come away from it with what you will. ;)
The father of the seven lies in reddest
Blood, limbs askew, hearing the music
Of the Ainur pounding in his ears, quicker
Than the beating of his heart. All is fading into darkness.
The flashing eyes are closing forever; the skilled
Hands shall work no more. Doubly
Cursed is he, though his own curse. Doubly,
For he and his sons, too, shall taste the copper
Tang of their own blood. From his craft
Has arisen a great discord in the Music;
He brought eternal light to what was base and dark,
But not all that is fair
Is good. With too much haste
Was the oath sworn, when the Two
Trees were falling swiftly into darkness.
But was Morgoth's blood also red?
He would cleave the Enemy's neck or die – though Nienna sang
Lamenting, even to help he would not offer his skill
To the traitorous Valar. His craft
Was something they sought to take, feigning fairness
That they might bend the Music
To their own devices. Not twice
Would he be fooled! He had raised one hand
And unwittingly pledged himself to darkness.
Before long all turned to shadow.
The stars, like the great jewels he had crafted,
Fell from the sky, blood-red
Yet undyingly fair.
At Alqualondë, at the Kin-Slaying, one of the twins
Had perished, but he had continued to sing
Of glory, of honor in the face of death. What fateful music
It was indeed, that turned his heart towards dark
Paths! When coming to a fork in the road, of the two
He had ever chosen wrongly. No skill of craft
Could save him now – but his Jewels, fairest
Of all creations! Even stained with red,
Were they not yet fair? Within them yet shine the Two
Trees, more beautiful than song, a true tribute to his skill.
But now all fades into darkness, all fades from the red.
A/N2: Now for some explanations.
Maedhros: Generally, I used "red" or "copper" because of his red hair (and his nickname Russandol, or "copper-top"). I also used "one hand" for a Maedhros line because… well, I hope you know why. Otherwise get out of the Silmarillion section and come back when you've read the book. ;)
Maglor: I used "music" and "song" since Maglor was a great singer and musician. Another self-explanatory one.
Celegorm: His name means "Swift to act" or "Hasty," and he was also called "the Fair" for his blond hair. Hence, I used words associated with those names.
Caranthir: He was known as "the Dark," which is convenient for me because in the Silmarillion it's really easy to talk about darkness. ;)
Curufin: "Curu-" means "skilled," and he was called "the Crafty." I think you're all clever enough to figure it out from here.
Amrod/Amras: It was convenient to just stick the twins together and use "two" or something similar for their lines. Incidentally, if anyone was confused by the mention of one of their deaths in stanza 5, in a draft published in The Peoples of Middle-earth, Tolkien had Amras die in the fire at Losgar when they burned the ships. And I like that version, so I'm invoking poetic license. :D