The Autobiographical Tolkien - 'Leaf by Niggle'... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Guinevere · 09-01-2002, 10:00 AM

Hi everyone, mae govannen !

Wow, yet another of these fascinating threads! Actually I,too, have just finished reading Prof.Shippeys excellent book on Tolkien. It really made me appreciate Tolkiens works even more.
Even before that, when I read "Leaf by Niggle", it struck me immediately as being a kind of allegory of Tolkien and his work. Especially the picture of the tree "sending out innumerable branches and thrusting out the most fantastic roots" is most suggestive. I haven`t read "Smith of Wootton Major" (yet).

But I keep wondering why Tolkien himself in 1962 denied that "Leaf by Niggle" was an allegory at all, and why he (in the Foreword to LotR) expressed such a strong dislike of "Allegory in all its manifestations".

I`ve read all your fascinating speculations with great interest, but I can`t help feeling that Tolkien would have hated that!
(No offence meant)
Suilad, Guinevere

09-01-2002, 10:00 AM	#21
Guinevere Banshee of Camelot Join Date: May 2002 Location: Switzerland Posts: 5,830	Hi everyone, mae govannen ! Wow, yet another of these fascinating threads! Actually I,too, have just finished reading Prof.Shippeys excellent book on Tolkien. It really made me appreciate Tolkiens works even more. Even before that, when I read "Leaf by Niggle", it struck me immediately as being a kind of allegory of Tolkien and his work. Especially the picture of the tree "sending out innumerable branches and thrusting out the most fantastic roots" is most suggestive. I haven`t read "Smith of Wootton Major" (yet). But I keep wondering why Tolkien himself in 1962 denied that "Leaf by Niggle" was an allegory at all, and why he (in the Foreword to LotR) expressed such a strong dislike of "Allegory in all its manifestations". I`ve read all your fascinating speculations with great interest, but I can`t help feeling that Tolkien would have hated that! (No offence meant) Suilad, Guinevere __________________ Yes! "wish-fulfilment dreams" we spin to cheat our timid hearts, and ugly Fact defeat!