Editing Song of Listing

|related=[[Listener]]

|world=Roshar

|universe=[[Cosmere]]

|books=[[The Stormlight Archive]]

}}

{{Copyright}}

The '''Song of Listing''' is one of the songs detailing the oral history of the [[listener]]s on [[Roshar]]. It recounts many of the [[Singer#Common_Forms|common forms]] that listeners were once able to take. It is not known to mention any of the "forms of power" granted by bonding a [[Voidspren]], which are covered by other songs such as the [[Song of Secrets]]. The song has at least 91 stanzas, and [[Eshonai]] notes that the old songs recount "hundreds" of forms.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}

The Song of Listing was presumably written by the [[Listener#The_Last_Legion_and_Abandoning_of_the_Gods|Last Legion]] to ensure that they remembered these forms, as they were only able to use dullform and mateform after they abandoned their gods.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}}

Around {{Rosharan date|1166}}, a young Eshonai had not learned the song. [[Jaxlim]] had trouble reciting it due to her increasing problems with memory loss, and [[Venli]] tried to help her remember.{{book ref|sa4|52}}

By the time of the [[War of Reckoning]], the Listeners had rediscovered nimbleform, warform, and workform after generations of research.{{book ref|sa2|i|1}}{{book ref|sa3|i|7}} Scholars continued to research the secrets to unlocking other forms known from the song such as artform and mediationform.{{book ref|sa2|i|4}} With the advent of the [[True Desolation]], the listeners regained access to forms that had been abandoned. The [[singers]] who had previously been enslaved as the parsh were given at least a dozen options of forms after they were freed, and use various forms including artform and scholarform.{{book ref|sa3|i|7}}

== Excerpts ==

<div style='width: 30em; margin: auto;'>

{{quote|Mateform meek, for love to share,<br/><!--

-->Given to life, it brings us joy.<br/><!--

-->To find this form, one must care.<br/><!--

-->True empathy, one must employ.

|5th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|14}}}}

{{quote|Warform is worn for battle and reign,<br/><!--

-->Claimed by the gods, given to kill.<br/><!--

-->Unknown, unseen, but vital to gain.<br/><!--

-->It comes to those with the will.

|15th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|13}}}}

{{quote|Workform worn for strength and care.<br/><!--

-->Whispering spren breathe at your ear.<br/><!--

-->Seek first this form, its mysteries to bear.<br/><!--

-->Found here is freedom from fear.

|19th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|15}}}}

{{quote|Nimbleform has a delicate touch.<br/><!--

-->Gave the gods this form to many,<br/><!--

-->Tho' once defied, by the gods they were crushed.<br/><!--

-->This form craves precision and plenty.

|27th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|16}}}}

{{quote|Mediationform made for peace, it's said.<br/><!--

-->Form of teaching and consolation.<br/><!--

-->When used by the gods, it became instead<br/><!--

-->Form of lies and desolation.

|33rd stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|21}}}}

{{quote|Scholarform shown for patience and thought.<br/><!--

-->Beware its ambitions innate.<br/><!--

-->Though study and diligence bring the reward,<br/><!--

-->Loss of innocence may be one's fate.

|69th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|18}}}}

{{quote|Artform applied for beauty and hue.<br/><!--

-->One yearns for the songs it creates.<br/><!--

-->Most misunderstood by the artist it's true,<br/><!--

-->Come the spren to foundation's fates.

|90th stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2||20}}}}

{{quote|Dullform dread, with the mind most lost.<br/><!--

-->The lowest, and one not bright.<br/><!--

-->To find this form, one needs banish cost.<br/><!--

-->It finds you and brings you to blight.

|final stanza{{epigraph ref|sa2|17}}}}

== Notes ==

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{{complete|[[User:Big Smooth|Big Smooth]] ([[User talk:Big Smooth|talk]]) 23:25, 4 March 2022 (UTC)}}

{{Stormlight}}

[[Category: list articles]]

[[Category: Listener songs]]