| Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien | |
| "I've got a very Briny Notion" | |
|---|---|
| Poem Information | |
| Written | Around 1945 |
| Published | Sauron Defeated |
| Subject(s) | Briny Notion, fish |
If Arry Lowdham is going to dive where the dreams go and find the same fish as Ramer, we shall have to look into the pool.
"I've got a very Briny Notion" is the first line of a poem written by J.R.R. Tolkien around 1945 that is sung by Alwin Arundel Lowdham in The Notion Club Papers.[1]
History
According to Night 65[1] in The Notion Club Papers that were discovered by Howard Green in 2012,[2] all the main members of the Notion Club[2] attended a meeting held in Philip Frankley's rooms at Queen's on 8 May 1987. After around the first hour of this meeting, Alwin Arundel Lowdham arrived at around 9:30 pm, singing:[1]
I've got a very Briny Notion
To drink myself to sleep.[1]
Afterwards, Lowdham was quite restless, refusing to sit down. During the next thirty minutes or so, Lowdham would occasionally burst into attempts at continuing his song, seldom getting further than the aforementioned first two lines:[1]
Bring me my bowl, my magic potion!
Tonight I’m diving deep.
down! down! down!
Down where the dream-fish go.[1]
The other members, notably Michael George Ramer, did not take it well. As a result, Lowdham's singing intervals became less frequent. At around 10:00 pm, the conversation, led by Frankley and Lowdham, turned to neologisms.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Two: The Notion Club Papers Part Two: Night 65", p. 225
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Sauron Defeated, "Part Two: The Notion Club Papers: Foreword and List of Members"