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Alex and David had a gorgeous forested wedding with tiny hints of Middle-earth all around.
That included this Tolkien wedding poem that was hidden in the photos, but not mentioned when they told us about the wedding.
So when I spied it, I pounced. The people must know this exists! This is a poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien for his wife, Edith.
A bit of background on the couple, so that this Tolkien wedding poem has more context…
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Tolkien had been in love with his wife Edith since they met as teenagers. He was known to have written love poems to her and clearly loved her for most of their lives.
But the most romantic tribute was the inclusion of his romance with her into the canon of Middle Earth in the story of Beren and Luthien.
Tolkien told his son that, while he never called Edith “Luthien,” she was the source of the story that became a big part of The Silmarillion.
The couple are buried next to each other, under a single gravestone inscribed with the names Beren and Luthien.
…My heart!
Now, let's see the Tolkien wedding poem in full…
Lo! Young we are and yet have stood
like planted hearts in the great Sun
of Love so long (as two fair trees
in woodland or in open dale
stand utterly entwined and breathe
the airs and suck the very light
together) that we have become
as one, deep rooted in the soil
of Life and tangled in the sweet growth.J.R.R. Tolkien
printed in Carpenter’s biography, Tolkien (1977)
Let us know if you use this poem in your wedding somewhere!
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
