J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Last of the Old Gods" episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 29, 2025 · 6 MIN

J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Last of the Old Gods"

from The Daily Poem · host Sean Johnson

Tolkien was no believer in the power of geo-political solutions to better the state of man, convinced that his duty was to fight “the long defeat” while awaiting God’s miraculous and unlooked-for deliverance–eucatastrophe. Though he would not publish the Lord of the Rings for another twenty years, this 1931 poem shows much of that thinking was already well-formed. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

NOW PLAYING

J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Last of the Old Gods"

0:00 6:28

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of The Daily Poem?

This episode is 6 minutes long.

When was this The Daily Poem episode published?

This episode was published on September 29, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Tolkien was no believer in the power of geo-political solutions to better the state of man, convinced that his duty was to fight “the long defeat” while awaiting God’s miraculous and unlooked-for deliverance–eucatastrophe. Though he would not...

Can I download this The Daily Poem episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!