tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post5581273317620022504..comments2023-11-07T06:20:12.181-08:00Comments on Tolkien: Medieval and Modern: How History Contributes to the Aesthetics of Location"Tolkien: Medieval and Modern"http://www.blogger.com/profile/04348913969813157482noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post-17686284563619163662011-06-01T21:37:49.805-07:002011-06-01T21:37:49.805-07:00I so agree with your reading of place descriptions...I so agree with your reading of place descriptions: they can seem very bland and repetitive, especially since they are written in the same style and emphasize the same things. But yes, I do think that they get their character not from the language with which Tolkien describes them, but the history with which he imbues them. We see this not just in Lord of the Rings, but even with Farmer Giles. The names of the locations in England forever will be associated with the comical history of Farmer Giles and the Dragon. <br /><br />I think that this is really the genesis for Lord of the Rings: remember the pictures that Professor Fulton showed us in class and the similarities many of them bore to the descriptions of places within the Lord of the Rings world? Tolkien himself seemed to generate stories because he thirsted to know the back-story to these places. It also reminds me of the “exercise” that is described in the Notion Club Papers of “going backwards” in time by looking at an object or place. I thought it was completely weird at first, when we talked about it in class (and I confess it still is a bit), but I think your post nicely summarizes why Tolkien – or his characters – would desire to create the history for a place. <br /><br />V.Lau"Tolkien: Medieval and Modern"https://www.blogger.com/profile/04348913969813157482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post-31734126527337659092011-04-18T19:14:59.112-07:002011-04-18T19:14:59.112-07:00You touch on several important themes here surroun...You touch on several important themes here surrounding the problem of history and place. I particularly like your point about the relationship between Tolkien's descriptions of places and the way in which they depend upon his evocation of history: indeed, he rarely describes the landscape in as much detail as one might like, and yet it springs to life because he gives it a life, a history, as if to say, "These are not just beautiful rocks; they are rocks that have witnessed great things over time!"<br /><br />RLFB"Tolkien: Medieval and Modern"https://www.blogger.com/profile/04348913969813157482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5746173806126403959.post-9791135484461416952011-04-18T15:29:02.150-07:002011-04-18T15:29:02.150-07:00While I agree with your overarching point, I disag...While I agree with your overarching point, I disagree with your opinion of Tolkien’s description of landscapes as simple or lacking “linguistic beauty.” When I read the same passage you posted, I am struck by how much descriptive power he has been able to into a few words. The mountain was tipped with gold, trees climb over one another, again and again until reaching a great spire of stone; I find this to be almost the perfect amount of figurative language; anymore and it tips into the “shimmering” nonsense you yourself dislike. I find that there is a stylistic uniqueness to the passage; Tolkien could have written, “The sun hit the top of the mountain, and it rose out of the water. There were trees lining it, then only grey rock, which rose to a point.” This is also an accurate description of the mountain, but it certainly lacks a certain stylistic oomph. I agree that the historical context and fullness of Middle Earth augments its realness, but I don’t think that this is too the exclusion of Tolkien’s written descriptions. The contradiction you sense is a personal preference; I don’t feel that it is solely the history of each land that contributes to Tolkien’s aesthetic, but rather the history along with his writing style. While his is certainly not the most ornate in terms of descriptions, I don’t think it’s as simple as you believe. I think critics cries of his work being childish, are due to its subject matter.<br /><br />Alexis C.Earelevanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13065254326592409408noreply@blogger.com