If you’ve spent any time running around Mordor in Middle-earth: Shadow of War, you’ve probably had a moment where a massive, scarred Orc captain jumped you from behind a rock. Usually, they yell about gutting you or feeding your toes to a Caragor. But every once in a while, you run into a "Poet."
It’s weirdly jarring.
Suddenly, the screaming stops and this terrifying creature starts reciting verses. These shadow of war poems aren’t just random flavor text either; they are a bizarre, darkly comedic, and surprisingly deep layer of the Nemesis System that most players kind of overlook between all the decapitations.
The Rhythm of the Nemesis System
Monolith Productions did something really gutsy with the writing in this game. They took the high-fantasy, often stiff linguistic style of J.R.R. Tolkien and smashed it into the dirt.
The poems aren't elegant. They're crude. They're violent. Honestly, they’re exactly what you’d expect a culture built on industrial slaughter to produce. When a Captain like "Prak the Poet" or "Krimp the Rhimer" shows up, the game pauses the action to let them deliver their lines. It creates this strange tension where you’re literally waiting for the rhyme scheme to resolve before you can start swinging your sword again.
Take the classic encounter with a Poet captain. They might say something like:
“I’ve traveled far and traveled wide,
With nowhere left for you to hide.
Your blood will flow, your skin I’ll tear,
Until there’s nothing but despair.”
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It’s simple AABB or ABAB rhyming, but the voice acting—usually gravelly, breathless, and menacing—sells it. It gives the Orcs a sense of "personhood" that you don't get in other open-world games. These aren't just bags of loot; they have hobbies. Macabre, rhythmic hobbies.
Why Shadow of War Poems Actually Matter for Immersion
We often talk about "ludonarrative dissonance," which is just a fancy way of saying a game's story and its gameplay don't match up. In Shadow of War, the poems bridge that gap.
Tolkien’s original works were obsessed with songs and oral tradition. The Hobbit is packed with them. By giving the Orcs their own twisted version of poetry, Monolith stayed true to the "spirit" of Middle-earth while acknowledging that Orcs are, basically, the ultimate punks of that world. They’ve taken a "refined" art form and weaponized it.
The Variety of the Verse
You won't just hear the same four lines over and over. The game's engine pulls from a massive bank of dialogue.
- There are the Boasting Poems, where they talk about their own legendary status.
- You’ve got Warning Poems, meant to intimidate Talion before the fight starts.
- Then there are the Grief Poems, which happen if you’ve killed their blood brother. Those are actually kinda sad, in a gross way.
Most players don't realize that the personality traits of the Orcs influence the rhythm. A "Maniac" might stumble over their words or scream the last line. A "Commander" might speak with more rigid, military cadence. It’s a subtle flex of the AI's capability to make every encounter feel like it has a "script" even though it's procedurally generated.
Don't Ignore the Technical Achievement
It’s easy to forget that these lines have to be recorded by real people. Voice actors like Alastair Duncan and others had to record hundreds of these snippets. The system then has to check: Is Talion on fire? Is the Orc near a ledge? Is this the third time they’ve met?
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The shadow of war poems change based on these variables. If you’ve shamed an Orc—burned his face and sent him running—he might come back with a poem about his lost beauty or his burning skin. That level of reactivity is why the game still has a massive cult following years after its 2017 release.
The Dark Humor of the Uruk-Hai
Let's be real: the game is violent. Really violent. The poetry acts as a pressure valve.
It’s hard not to chuckle when an eight-foot-tall monster with a meat hook for a hand starts waxing lyrical about the "sweet scent of a rotting corpse." It reminds me of the old "Gallows Humor" real soldiers use. It makes the world feel lived-in. Mordor isn't just a fortress; it’s a society. A messed-up, cruel, singing society.
When the Poem Becomes a Problem
Sometimes the poetry is a warning sign. In the higher difficulty levels like Gravewalker or Brutal, a Poet Captain is a nightmare. Because they talk so much, you have a longer "intro" period where you can't move. If they have the "No Chance" trait—meaning you don't get a Last Stand prompt if you die—that poem is literally the last thing you'll ever hear.
There’s a specific psychological effect when an enemy rhymes while killing you. It feels disrespectful. It feels like they aren't even trying. You aren't a legendary hero to them; you're a writing prompt.
Beyond the Poet Title
You’ll also find poetic elements in the Shadow of War "Ithildin Doors." These are the gear-gated puzzles scattered throughout the map. To open them, you have to collect words and complete a poem on a stone door.
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These poems are different. They are Elven. They focus on Celebrimbor’s past and the glory of the Bright Lord.
The Contrast:
The Elven poems are structured, grand, and cold.
The Orc poems are messy, visceral, and loud.
This contrast tells the story of the game better than any cutscene. It’s the "High Art" of the Elves versus the "Low Art" of the Uruks. By participating in both, Talion is stuck right in the middle—a man caught between two different kinds of darkness.
Actionable Tips for Finding the Best Poems
If you're hunting for the best dialogue or want to see the weirdest "Poet" Captains, here is how you manipulate the Nemesis system to make it happen.
- Die on purpose. It sounds counterintuitive, but letting a lowly grunt kill you increases the chance he gets a "title." If he was near a campfire or a library-looking area in a fortress, he might just become a Poet.
- Target the "Minstrel" or "Poet" titles. If you see these on the army screen, don't just kill them from a distance with an arrow. Approach them head-on. Let the dialogue trigger.
- Shame them, don't kill them. Using the "Worse than Death" upgrade on a Poet can lead to some of the most broken, haunting "shattered" poetry in the game. They stop rhyming correctly. It’s genuinely unsettling.
- Check the Ithildin Door rewards. Completing the Elven poems gives you the Bright Lord set, which is essential for high-level play. Don't just skip the poem puzzles; they actually provide lore context for why Celebrimbor is so obsessed with power.
The poetry in Shadow of War is a testament to the idea that even in a game about endless war, there's room for a little bit of (very bloody) art. Next time you're in Seregost or Cirith Ungol, stop and listen. The Orcs have a lot on their minds. Usually, it's your death, but at least they've found a way to make it rhythmic.
To get the most out of your next playthrough, focus on the Ithildin Door poems early in each zone to unlock the Legendary gear. This gives you a massive advantage in the late-game "Shadow Wars" sieges. Simultaneously, keep an eye out for any Captain with a musical instrument strapped to their back—they almost always have unique, rare dialogue strings that you won't hear anywhere else in the game. Look for the "Bard" or "Singer" variants as well; they offer a melodic twist on the standard poetic encounters. High-level players often keep one "Poet" Captain as a bodyguard just for the entertainment value during fortress captures. Use the "Hired By Mail" or "Online Vendetta" systems to find Orcs that other players have encountered; often, a legendary Poet will be circulating through the community's game worlds. Finally, make sure your "Dialogue" volume is turned up in the settings, as some of the best rhyming insults happen during the heat of battle, not just in the cinematic intros.