What was the name of Tolkien’s first published Middle-earth poem collection?

The Adventures of Tom Bombadil was Tolkien’s first published Middle-earth poem collection.

George Allen & Unwin published the book in 1962. Its title poem concerns Tom Bombadil, the mysterious character who also appears in The Fellowship of the Ring. The collection contains sixteen poems, presented as works from the fictional traditions of the Shire and other parts of Middle-earth.

The poems explore hobbit lore, strange creatures, kings, journeys, and local legends. Some are closely connected to the narrative world of The Lord of the Rings, while others have a more playful or folkloric tone. Tolkien also supplied introductory notes that frame the poems as translated or collected material.

The book is sometimes confused with The Road Goes Ever On, a song collection associated with Tolkien and Donald Swann that appeared in 1967. Songs for the Philologists is an earlier privately circulated collection, not the first published Middle-earth poem volume.