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| High Flight by Jay of Lasgalen | 12 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Lianna | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 1/10/2007 |
| Congratulations on the Mithril Award for this story! | |
| Isil Elensar | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/11/2004 |
| Awesome, Jay! Isil Author Reply: Thanks, Isil! I had fun writing this - it's so different from my other stories. | |
| Pearl Took | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/11/2004 |
| This is elegantly done!! That is one of my favorite poems and your connecting it to the Eagles is wonderful. I'm glad I read it today, Veterans Day. Thank you for this wonderful story. Author Reply: Thank you - it's interesting to see how many people know and love this poem. I never thought I'd be able to link it to LOTR! I'm glad you liked the story. | |
| Dot | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/10/2004 |
| Oh, I LOVE it! The poem is beautiful. I hadn’t come across it before but it fits perfectly with your wonderful story – what a clever idea! Your eagles are just so alive to me. When we see them in Tolkien’s writings, I suppose we can’t help but feel the same awe for them that other races do and you’ve captured perfectly the same hint of arrogance he gives them while also allowing us a closer glimpse at them than I imagine any outsiders ever got. I love the idea of the younger ones being almost like young ones of any race, laughing and joking, showing off but still with that beauty and majesty that they possess. And like everywhere in the world, the young are sometimes reminded that the world they now know is there because of the deeds of older generations. The older eagle’s view of the Battle of Five Armies was fascinating and I really liked the sense of humility that shone through and his recognition that what came out of that day was friendship between his people and others. He has a wonderful dignity about him too, and I think part of that was why he refused to listen to the elven healer who was telling him that he had to become less than he was. I think my favourite line in the piece is “To be an eagle was to fly – wheeling and soaring, hovering high above the land; dancing through the sky and tumbling down the wind.” So lovely. And such a sense of freedom and beauty. Ah, and Meneldor! It makes me think of Frodo listening to Bilbo’s stories and never dreaming of what the future would hold for him. It was a great way to finish this story, with the young eagle who ends up playing such an important part in history. And that last line… so sad. Great job, Jay! :-) Author Reply: One of the things I'm most pleased about is that so many people have discovered this poem - it's been a favourite for a long time. And it was perfect for the eagles in this tale. They're majestic and graceful, and revel in the power of flight - they can't contemplate anything else, which is why the old eagle took no notice after being told he'd never fly again. I'm glad that several people recognised Meneldor - he only had a fleeting role, so I wasn't sure! | |
| Bodkin | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/10/2004 |
| Just lovely. The Eagles make such great characters and I love the energetic young and the old one and their fascination with his story. Great poem too. (I also rather like 'An Irish Airman Foresees his Death' by WB Yeats.) Author Reply: I looked up that poem when you mentioned it - I love the joy in 'High Flight', but 'A lonely impulse of delight drove to this tumult in the clouds' echoes the same sort of sentiments. Thanks for the review - I did some research on the Eagles for my last chapter, and I wanted to use them again. | |
| JastaElf | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/10/2004 |
| Jay, this is just brilliant. What a concept! I did not know of the WW1 poetry competition on HASA... but wow, what a neat idea you came up with! The personifications of the eagles are just wonderful--I can imagine the youngsters being hard to settle down, but then having that wonderful stillness come over them as happens to bird from time to time, where nothing stirs but feathers in the wind.... A beautiful, beautiful piece. Thank you! Author Reply: I wanted to do something different than an old soldier remembering, and then I thought of this poem. It was just perfect for the eagles. I liked the idea of the young eagles having their own place, which only the very best could fly to - it meant that they immediately knew the old one was worth listening to. Thanks, Jasta! Author Reply: PS - I've put a placeholder in the challenge as well (it ends tomorrow, so that gives me more time). There's a verse in Laurence Binyon's 'For The Fallen' which is wonderfully elvish (think movie!Helm's Deep). | |
| LKK | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/10/2004 |
| Beautiful and bittersweet, Jay. I fear I'm missing some of the symbolism in the story. Totally my fault, I'm sure. The golden collar, the name of the young eagle -- I feel I should know what they symbolize but I don't. The young eagle, was he one of the ones who flew Gandalf to Frodo and Sam's rescue? Even if he wasn't, I'm sure you intended him to be there at the battle before the Black Gate. I have even fewer guesses as the significance of the golden collar. Even still, I love the emotions that this piece instills. A wonderful memorial for the upcoming Armistice Day (Veterans' Day in the US) remembrances! Author Reply: Yes, there is symbolism here! The Eagle Lord and his chieftains were given gold by the dwarves after the Battle of Five Armies. (That snippet of information comes in Queer Lodgings, when Bilbo first meets the eagles). The leader had a crown, and the others gold collars - so my eagle is one of those. Meneldor, the young one who kept asking questions and being cheeky, was one of the three who flew with Gandalf to rescue Frodo and Sam, as you guessed. (I was carefully making up likely names for eagles for another story, and came up with 'Meneldor', meaning Sky Lord. Then I found Tolkien had already used it!) I'm glad you asked, and didn't just wonder! Thanks. | |
| Mum's the Word | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/9/2004 |
| What a wonderful glimpse into the Eagles' lives! And you've tied it in perfectly with "High Flight." The joy and exuberance of the poem is a very apt description of how Eagles must feel in flight. It's also very appropriate that you've posted your story just before Veterans' Day. On a personal note, I've copied the poem and an online mini-biography of the poet for possible use at the memorial services for another WWII pilot next weekend, who has, like your veteran, "slipped the bonds of Arda in his high flight." As Gandalf might say with a twinkle in his eye, Jay of Lasgalen, you were "meant" to write this story and to post it here today. Thank you, Jay! Blessings, Mum's the Word Author Reply: Thank you - I'm so glad you liked both the poem and the story. The poem is a favourite, and just how I imagine the eagles' flight - hence their dismay at never flying again. Good luck for the memorial service. | |
| Lianna | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/9/2004 |
| I love the old veteran's sense of perspective: "We didn’t win the battle alone, but yes, we helped." And his determination sings out just as strongly: "When told my wing would never heal, I did not listen. When told I would never fly again, I would not listen. This is how I flew here." How wonderful that the old veteran's last act would be to provide such inspiration to the young. Lovely story, Jay. Author Reply: Advice to the young is usually 'always listen and do what you are told.' My unamed eagle's advice was the opposite - just to be different! Thanks - I'm glad you liked this. | |
| lwarren | Reviewed Chapter: 1 on 11/9/2004 |
| Lovely...there's nothing more majestic than the flight of one of the big birds, such as the eagles. That poem has been a favorite of mine since high school, which was...gee, that was so long ago...I'd rather not do the math! :-) I love the eagles of Tolkien, and there are not very many stories about them. This is wonderful.. and of course, Meneldor will get his chance to do a great deed in the future. Thank you for sharing this, Jay! linda Author Reply: I love the poem too, and with the eagles I saw a way to link it to Middle-Earth. And yes, Meneldor does have his moment of glory one day! Thanks for reviewing. | |