[Glenethor]

I shouldn't write this stuff at 3:00 AM, but...

I revere Tolkien's work, and I can't say that about a lot of 20th century art. It has influenced my perception of the world from the moment I first opened the LoTR 25 years ago.
I've always referenced LoTR against the 'real world' (without getting too allegorical) and now is no exception. 'A new Power is rising,' according to Saruman, and we have had many people since 9/11/01 say that 'the world is changed.' So, when the first words in the movie were 'I amar prestar aen' I was shaken to my core. We don't know how it is all going to end. As the books say, the Shadow may retreat for a period, and then reappear in different guise. And so it has. The battle between Good and Evil. I have studied Evil, on both a macro and micro level ( I know, beware of looking into the abyss. It ensnared Saruman) and so as events in the 'real world' unfold against the backdrop of LoTR, I have this bedrock of Faith there...that Evil cannot prevail. So too, the books reawakened me to the Good, the Beautiful, the Noble which are more powerful than Evil and morbidity. In essence, it brings me closer to God. So, ME is 'real' to me, insofar as I filter my worlds (internal and external) through Tolkien's vision.

And that was beautiful, Amyrlis!

[ March 15, 2002: Message edited by: Glenethor ]