WWI Poets Challenge
Challenge Details
I have a rendezvous with Death
At some disputed barricade,
Broken, bewildered by the long retreat
Across the stifling leagues of southern plain
These lines were written by WWI soldiers, but they could also very easily have been written by one of Tolkien's characters. Can we see Argonne Forest as Mirkwood? The Somme as Mordor? What about the fighters, the fallen, the wounded, the healers of Middle-earth? How would they relate to the poets of the Great War?
Take a poem from a WWI poet, and write a piece somehow using that poem to reflect on one of Tolkien's battles. The piece should mirror the spirit of the poem that inspires it and focus on an active participant in the war but your story need not be set during a battle; it could, for example, be the result of a war or tell of events that occurred between battles. . More than one person may use the same poem.
The time has come to honour all of our veterans and wartime casualties, and particularly JRR Tolkien's own military service in World War I. You have until Armistice Day (November 11), 2004.
Entries with Stories
The following authors have entered a story in the Challenge.
- Regina - Blood Poppy
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 21 Dec 06
- During the siege of Minas Tirith, a young and fearful conscript finds a bit of beauty amid the carnage. Based on Isaac Rosenberg's "Break of Day in the Trenches."
- Regina - Whisper of Thunder, A
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 15 Jun 04
- Mutual nightmares, a coming storm, and some apple brandy lead Merry to make a painful confession to Pippin. Written for Marigold Cotton’s fourth “Tales of the Red Book” challenge.
- Regina - Cover Him with Violets
- General Audience
- Last Updated: 05 Jun 04
- Ioreth and Merry mourn a young Rider of Rohan who has died far from home after fighting at the Pelennor. Inspired by Ivor Gurney’s WWI poem “To His Love.”
Placeholders
The following authors have entered a placeholder in the Challenge.
- elcalion
- Entry Date: 03 Jan 05
- screaming.whispers
- Entry Date: 26 Feb 12
