1a. Which line in "Roads Go Ever Ever On" occurs more than once?
2a. To what is the speaker in "Travel" unusually attentive?
3a. What does the tree in "Wanting to Move" desire? What information shocks the tree? What does the tree ask itself at the end of the poem?
1b. Why might Tolkien have repeated this particular line?
2b. Why is the speaker so attentive to this?
3b. Who or what might the tree in "Wanting to Move" symbolize? In other words, what type of person might feel the way this tree feels? What do you think is the answer to the tree's final question?
4a. What seasons of the year are suggested in "Roads Go Ever Ever On"? What span of time does Millay mention in "Travel"?
4b. What can you conclude because of the number of seasons suggested by Tolkien? How could the extent of time mentioned in "Travel" be seen as ambiguous?
5a. What attitude toward travel is Tolkien conveying? Millay? Mukhopadhyay? How are they the same? How are they different? Explain. Describe a situation in which someone could hold all three attitudes at the same time.
5b. If you were the wanderer in Tolkien's poem, how would you feel about returning home? If you were the speaker in "Travel," how would you feel after you had moved away from good friends several times? If you had a heart like the tree's in "Wanting to Move," what would you do next?
Meter. Is the meter of "Travel" regular or irregular?
The railroad track is miles away, And the day is loud with voices speaking, Yet there isn't a train goes by all day But I hear its whistle shrieking.
All night there isn't a train goes by, Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming, But I see its cinders red on the sky, And hear its engine steaming.
My heart is warm with the friends I make, And better friends I'll not be knowing; Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take, No matter where it's going.
Rhyme Scheme. Determine the rhyme scheme for "Roads Go Ever Ever On." Which rhymes are exact and which are examples of slant rhyme?
1. Imagine you are the wanderer in Tolkien's poem and write for readers a brief summary of one of your adventures away from home.
2. Pretend you are helping to plan the wanderer's travels and develop an itinerary of the places he, she, or it will be going.
3. Pretend you are one of the speaker's good friends in "Travel." Write a persuasive letter telling the speaker why you don't think he or she should give up good friends by taking the next train to wherever it is going.
Communicating the Mood of a Poem. Copy the poem in the space provided and make notes to help you in your reading of the poem.
Using Colorful Nouns, Verbs, and Modifiers. In his poem, "Roads Go Ever Ever On," J. R. R. Tolkien uses vivid words to evoke feelings of wonder, magic, and danger in his writing. Practice making your writing more vivid by rewriting the paragraph below, inserting or substituting colorful nouns, verbs, and modifiers anywhere you see an opportunity to do so.
Version #1
The man had walked a long time. He was walking because he had had to sell his horse for money. He was tired and was looking for a place to spend the night. He saw an inn by the side of the road. He entered the inn. The innkeeper said there was one room left. After getting settled in, the man came downstairs and sat by the fire and ate dinner. After dinner, the man had a glass of cider and talked to the other guests.
Version #2.
Using a Thesaurus. A thesaurus is a reference book that groups synonyms, or words with similar meanings. A thesaurus is useful when you need a new or precise word for your writing. Practice using a thesaurus by looking up the following words from the three poems in this section and then listing the synonyms you find for each word:
1. road
2. home
3. fire
4. loud
5. sky
6. friends
7. tense
8. burst
9. die
10. agitates
