Thesis: In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, the songs and riddles provide a source of foreshadowing and comic relief for the readers. Foreshadowing in literature is usually found in the surrounding setting and language in the context, while the comic relief is found in the characters. However, unlike other literary works, The Hobbit’s foreshadowing and comic relief can be found in the songs that are scattered across the entire book. In The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, the songs and riddles provide a source of foreshadowing and comic relief for the readers. The first example of comic relief can be seen in the beginning of the novel, when the dwarves come to Bilbo Baggins’s house and start singing about Bilbo's pet peeves: “Chip the glasses and
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We must away ‘ere break of day to seek the pale enchanted gold.” (14) A little further into the chapter, Bilbo wakes up way after the “break of day”, telling readers that the adventure is already off to a bad start, and will result in the unexpected. A few verses later, the song continues, “in places deep, where dark things sleep, in hollow halls beneath the fells.” (14) This excerpt tells us “dark things” sleep in hidden places, yet they don’t give a name. It is subtly telling us that the readers will read about Gollum soon. The last few verses of the song are: “the pines were roaring on the height, the winds were moaning in the night, the fire was red, its flaming spread…” (15) In chapter 6, the wolves chase the company into the trees, and Gandalf shoots fire down at them, but the trees caught on fire as the fire spread. The song excerpt shows readers a small scene about what will happen later. As the company started to travel on the Misty Mountains, the elves in the trees started to sing, “O! Will you be staying, or will you be flying? Your ponies are straying! The daylight is dying! To fly would be folly, to stay would be jolly…” (48) When the elves sing about the company “flying”, they are hinting about how the eagles will help them during that conflict with the wolves, and when they mention how their horses are …show more content…
Shrivel and scorch! A fizzling torch, to light the night, for our delight...so dwarves shall die, and light the night, for our delight!” (107) Although no dwarves died in the conflict they were singing about, this excerpt foreshadows how Smaug will burn the human city of Lake Town to the ground. It tells readers about the goblins’ involvement in the evil deed and how Thorin, Kili, and Fili will die later into the story. In chapter 9, Bilbo comes up with a courageous plan to get the dwarves out of their imprisonment by stuffing them into barrels and floating them down the river. The elves began to sing, “Down the swift dark stream you go, back to the lands you once did know! Leave the halls and caverns deep, Leave the northern mountains stepp…” (183) The elves unknowingly had just released the dwarves, yet they began to sing about how they will go back to their homeland and leave the dangerous places soon. This foreshadows that the company will make it back to their Mountain and achieve their
We must away ‘ere break of day to seek the pale enchanted gold.” (14) A little further into the chapter, Bilbo wakes up way after the “break of day”, telling readers that the adventure is already off to a bad start, and will result in the unexpected. A few verses later, the song continues, “in places deep, where dark things sleep, in hollow halls beneath the fells.” (14) This excerpt tells us “dark things” sleep in hidden places, yet they don’t give a name. It is subtly telling us that the readers will read about Gollum soon. The last few verses of the song are: “the pines were roaring on the height, the winds were moaning in the night, the fire was red, its flaming spread…” (15) In chapter 6, the wolves chase the company into the trees, and Gandalf shoots fire down at them, but the trees caught on fire as the fire spread. The song excerpt shows readers a small scene about what will happen later. As the company started to travel on the Misty Mountains, the elves in the trees started to sing, “O! Will you be staying, or will you be flying? Your ponies are straying! The daylight is dying! To fly would be folly, to stay would be jolly…” (48) When the elves sing about the company “flying”, they are hinting about how the eagles will help them during that conflict with the wolves, and when they mention how their horses are …show more content…
Shrivel and scorch! A fizzling torch, to light the night, for our delight...so dwarves shall die, and light the night, for our delight!” (107) Although no dwarves died in the conflict they were singing about, this excerpt foreshadows how Smaug will burn the human city of Lake Town to the ground. It tells readers about the goblins’ involvement in the evil deed and how Thorin, Kili, and Fili will die later into the story. In chapter 9, Bilbo comes up with a courageous plan to get the dwarves out of their imprisonment by stuffing them into barrels and floating them down the river. The elves began to sing, “Down the swift dark stream you go, back to the lands you once did know! Leave the halls and caverns deep, Leave the northern mountains stepp…” (183) The elves unknowingly had just released the dwarves, yet they began to sing about how they will go back to their homeland and leave the dangerous places soon. This foreshadows that the company will make it back to their Mountain and achieve their