Chapters 15–19

Ravens often represent bad omens that connect to death. Here, the raven connects to death in both good and bad ways, but the dwarves focus more on the good news of the death of Smaug than on the warnings about battle and slaughter that could be prevented with shares of the treasure. Despite being decrepit and nearly blind, the old raven represents wisdom that Thorin and the dwarves should listen to.

Compare with "regret" in this list. As verbs, the words are synonymous. But in the example sentences, "repent" is used as a verb and "regret" is used as a noun to connect to situations that are opposite in nature. Here, Bard is seemingly giving Thorin time to repent, but he is actually threatening him with an army; later, Bilbo feels regret about leaving the happiness and beauty of Beorn's home.

Compare with "beset" in this list--both connect to the armies led by Bard and the Elvenking. Although the armies have not made a move in either example sentence, the definitions of the verbs seem to suggest otherwise, since an army that besieges is seated (from the Latin "sedere") and blocking supplies, while an army that besets will directly "assail or attack on all sides."

The dwarves are beset because they are besieged (notice how "beset" can be both a verb and adjective), but don't be bewildered by the example sentence's contranyms. "Host" can mean "a person who invites guests to a social event" but here is used in its opposite meaning as "a vast multitude" who's behaving like a hostile army. "Grim" can describe sad hopelessness, but here is used to describe the fierce fighting skills of the dwarves.

"Forbear" also means "a person from whom you are descended"--although this definition does not fit the example sentence, it is suggested by Thorin's earlier words: "For the Arkenstone of my father," he said, "is worth more than a river of gold in itself, and to me it is beyond price."

"Vile" and "wretched" are used synonymously here, although the treasure is morally deserving of severe criticism or disapproval only because vile creatures, such as the goblins, are willing to kill over it (dwarves and men could then also be considered vile, but Bilbo does not include them in his use of the adjective here).

Although the liveliness and profit of the town (rebuilt partly through Bard's share of the treasure) is emphasized in the first half of the sentence, the second half emphasizes that a town's prosperity often goes hand in hand with peaceful relationships with its neighbors.