Homeschooler Moment #11

I know I just did one of these homeschooler things, but it seems lately they’ve all been about the youngest, so I thought I’d share a little on the oldest.  Besides, this was just fun.

I guess we’d file this under “the apple doesn’t fall far…”, or in this case maybe it’s the “nut” that’s falling. Anyway.  Around our little homeschool reading has always been a central focus.  All four of our children are avid readers; almost obsessive, actually.  And while we all may have a little different genre that we’re drawn to as a favorite, we all seem to like fantasy.  Especially the Tolkien and Lewis variety.  We actually went through the Narnia books as part of our family worship time for several months, since those stories have such strong biblical imagery.  And The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy are obviously required reading.

So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that our English major daughter thinks in Tolkien-esque rhyme from time to time.  And less of a surprise, perhaps, that dad is in complete sync with it.  As she prepares for finals this semester, she posted this little rhyme based on the dwarves song near the beginning of The Hobbit.  Not wanting to be outdone, I had to make a parody response as well.

What follows is her post, followed by the Tolkien original it’s based on, and then my response, likewise followed by the original.  Hope you enjoy our little father-daughter repartee. 

LoriAnn’s Status:

The campus steamed that afternoon.

The students heard the tramp of doom.

Within these halls to finals fall

Prey to testing, and very soon.

(With apologies to Professor Tolkien...my personal version of one of the verses in the dwarves' song at the beginning of The Hobbit)

Actual Poem:

The mountain smoked beneath the moon;

The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom.

They fled their hall to dying fall.

Beneath his feet, beneath the moon.

           

 My Response:

Far over the Ozark Mountains old

To dorms with heat when it should be cold

We sent away our daughter fey

To seek the famed degree of gold

She studied hard, made mighty grades

When finals fell, like sharpened blades

She didn’t sleep, but studied deep

And aced them all without an aid.

Now ancient king and mighty queen

With pride their faces glow and sheen

Their offspring passed, they know at last

When old, on her they now can lean.

Actual Poem:

Far over the misty mountains cold

To dungeons deep and caverns old

We must away ere break of day

To seek the pale enchanted gold.

The dwarves of yore made mighty spells,

While hammers fell like ringing bells

In places deep, where dark things sleep,

In hollow halls beneath the fells.

For ancient king and elvish lord

There many a gleaming golden hoard

They shaped and wrought, and light they caught

To hide in gems on hilt of sword.