'high', purged of the gross: culture

[Saraphim]

I will attempt to explain my thoughts thoroughly, but if I confuse anyone, please inform me and I will happily attempt to elaborate.

Alright. For starters, the language (The Common Tongue, at any rate. Elvish is an entirely different, yet lovely story) Tolkien uses, a sort of retro-modern- Shakespeare type (and the confusion begins, sorry) is as great, vast, full, clear, fair, elusive, beautiful, steeped in poetry, majestic, and splendorous (er... Is that a word? Ah well, I'm using it) as anything ever written. It sets the tone for the story, a lingual backdrop that Tolkien obviously spent much time on.

It is this language that I see reflected most often, in fans and others. The crystaline flow of the words that seemed to flow so ceaslessly from Tolkien's pen inspires people. Me being one of many that I know.

When the characters speak, they don't simply tell what they are doing, they really TELL you what they are doing:

" Perilous indeed," said Aragorn, "fair and perilous, but only evil may fear it, or those who bring some evil with them."

The esteemed ranger is speaking of Lothlorien, and I think the land is described perfectly in this one line.