Valedictory

1911 poem by J.R.R. Tolkien

Valedictory, or Oxenaford (of Gifeteslage gesewen), is a short poem about Oxford that was written by J.R.R. Tolkien in October of 1911.

First stanza

From the many-willowed margin of the immemorial Thames

Standing in a vale outcarven in a world-forgotten day

There is dimly seen uprising through the greenly veiléd stems

Many-mansioned tower-crownéd in its dreamy robe of grey

That strange city by the river agéd in the lives of men

Proudly wrapt in mystic memory overpassing human ken.

Background

In the second half of October during the Michaelmas Term in 1911, Tolkien wrote a short untitled ode of two stanzas during his first undergraduate term at the University of Oxford. Tolkien later entitled it From Iffley. When Tolkien sent it to the Stapeldon Magazine to be published, the second stanza was lost by the editor. As such, in December of 1913, the first stanza was published without a title as no. twenty on page 11 in the magazine's fourth volume. Tolkien signed the poem with just his first initial. In a later revision on an unknown date, Tolkien made minor changes to the poem, including changing the title to Valedictory.

In the spring of 1915, Tolkien sent a copy of the poem to Christopher Wiseman, who wrote back to him in April.

In September of 2024, the poem was re-published as entry 10 in The Collected Poems of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Referencias

1. Esta ficha se ha importado inicialmente de TolkienGateway.net el día 31/05/2026.

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