David is teaching Hannah
Omnibus I. They are doing it together with our good friends Ralph and Ramona, and about once a week they have a phone conversation discussing the current book. They began the study of the Odyssey. Today's conversation was an introduction to the book and discussing how it is an epic poem and written in
dactylic hexameter. Hannah and Ramona were to write 10 lines of poetry on a heroic theme, using dactylic hexameter. I think it is incredible what they wrote. I can't even begin to wrap my idiotic brain (see previous post) around where to even begin. Following is their assingment:
(Note: I have copied it like the girls wrote it, capitalizing the stressed syllables to help see the rhythm.)Hannah's:
OUT from the GATES comes the MOUTH of the EYE, with the MITHriel of FROdo
TAUNTing the LEADers of MEN and their ARmy with LIES, to deCEIVE them
ARagorn SMITES off his HEAD with a SWORD and thus STARTS up the BATtle
RIDES back and SAYS to the SOLdiers of GONdor "toDAY we will STAND strong!
COURage may FAIL, and all MEN will then FALL but for THIS day we FIGHT, men!"
AFter his SPEECH the great KING leads his PEOple to BATtle with Evil.
WAR cries and SWORDS and BODies of MEN fill the FIELD of the BATtle
TOO many ORCS are surROUNDing the SOLdiers and THEY can not HOLD on
ALL looking HOPEless and THEN in the DIStance they SEE the great EYE fall
NAZgul and ORCS and the REST of the ARmy of SAUron the PERish
EARTH cracks and FIre eRUPTS from the MOUNtain of DOOM, and the MEN stare
WHAT could have HAPpened to FROdo and SAM, who deSTROYED the one RING there?
GANdolph rides EAGle to MOUNTain and THERE he finds HOBBits toGETHer
BRINGS them to RIVendell WHERE they can REST and be HEALED from their LAbors
BUT what is THEIR story, HOW did two HOBBits sucCEED and deSTROY him?
Ramona's continues where Hannah's ends:
RUNning and SCRAMbaling UP toward the DOORway of MOUNT Doom went FROdo
EYES fixed on HIS goal his HAND gripping THAT thing he MUST destroy FOR all
Every step MORE of a WEIGHT pulled don ARound his NECK what a BURden
THEN he was THERE pulled the RING held it OVer the FIRE but it STOPPED him
"THROW it in!" SAMwise yelled BUT the ring's POWer was STRONGer than FROdo's
FROdo put ON the ring HE suddenLY could not STOP himself FROM it
VANished did FORdo but SUDdenly SMEAgol came, RAN for the PREcious
BIT off the RING finger FINally HE had the PREcious but FROdo ran toWARDS him
BARReling OVer the EDGE Frodo PUSHED him both SMEAgol and RING fell
IN just one MOment the POWer of SAUron deSTROYED by the WEAKest
THIS huge task WAS conquered BY the most UNlikely AGainst the GREAT odds
TWO lowly HOBbits had SAVED Middle-EARTH from all EVil; had BROUGT peace