Voice is one of the most elusive elements of writing: hard to pin down and hard to duplicate. We can come close, though, by pinpointing the devices and strategies a particular author uses most. And one of the best ways to develop one’s own writing voice is by learning what makes successful writers’ voices so effective.

J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, has a distinct voice that many fantasy authors try to capture. In this course, we will explore some of his favorite devices for conveying the grandeur and majesty of Middle-earth.

Each week, we will focus on a different type of figurative language or rhetorical device. I will explain how it works, giving examples from Tolkien’s writings. I will use slides as I explain and we discuss. Then there will be 10 minutes of free writing, where students try their hand at the device of the week. Students will share what they have written with the class. This is a low-pressure exercise, meant to be fun. Whether your learner is a champion wordsmith or has just started to flex their writing muscles, their writing is welcome. They also may write on anything they like, so long as it’s classroom appropriate (no bad words, adult content, etc).

No prior knowledge of Tolkien’s writings is necessary, but the quotations I use as examples may contain spoilers for The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

This is an ongoing class, so students may sign up at any time. We will cover the following 8 devices. I am open to student suggestions if they want to learn about a device they see in Tolkien’s writing that I have not listed here. Otherwise, these topics will cycle back to the beginning after 8 weeks.

Week of May 1.	Topic 1 – Alliteration: “Fling fuel on the fire”
The repetition of consonant sounds is like yeast in the dough of Tolkien’s prose and poetry. We’ll look at different types and the reasons Tolkien was so fond of it (hint: it has to do with Beowulf).

Week of May 8.	Topic 2 – Simile to Metaphor: “Its wings were spread from wall to wall”
Tolkien often sets up a simile, then refers back to it with a metaphor. It’s a special type of concise comparison that has given rise to one of the most persistent questions among readers: do Balrogs have wings?

Week of May 15.	Topic 3 – Anastrophe: “Long was the way that fate them bore”
Key to Tolkien’s famously archaic style is the way he arranges his sentences. We’ll look at when and why he chooses to do this and what effect it has.

Week of May 22.	Topic 4 – Anaphora: “One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them”
A technique for making the simplest of sentences sound like an incantation.

Week of May 29.	Topic 5 – Polysyndeton: “No Memory of tree or grass or flower”
One way of overwhelming the reader is to use as many conjunctions (FANBOYS) as possible, giving the impression that the list will never end.

Week of June 5.	Topic 6 – Parataxis: “And he went on, and there was yellow light”
A type of sentence structure that combines short clauses and many conjunctions to elevate the tone and play grand tricks with reading tempo.

Week of June 12.	Topic 7 – The 3-Word Stinger: “And Morgoth came”
A stunning way to end a long description or grand mythic passage with just 3 short words that will stick in the reader’s mind like a slogan.

Week of June 19.	Topic 8 – Providential Passive Voice: “Bilbo was meant to find the Ring”
How does Tolkien talk about fate? By not naming it. He has a special way of building sentences to keep the reader guessing about who is behind it all.

Keywords: the Lord of the Rings; the Hobbit; creative writing; poetry; grammar; sentences; conjunctions; high school; English; language arts