LotR -- Book 3 - Chapter 01 - The Departure of Boromir

[the phantom]

The chapter title is rather ambiguous - did anyone think that it meant Boromir was going to Minas Tirith when first reading the book?

Yes.

The first time I read LOTR my head was spinning after this chapter.

Frodo and Sam are off alone, Boromir gets killed, Merry and Pippin get captured (probably the thing I least expected), and Aragorn decides to chase after M & P.

Maybe there is no right choice.

That's exactly how I was feeling when I read this part.

Then sitting in the high seat he looked out. But the sun seemed darkened, and the world dim and remote.

Hmm... could Sauron have anything to do with this? Sauron had felt somebody who was either powerful or had a powerful object in their possession looking at him from the hill earlier in the day. Perhaps he was still giving Amon Hen (or the area around it) a bit of attention which caused Aragorn's sight on the hill to be darkened or cloaked.

And I agree with Aldarion and his points regarding the funeral song and how it could have been made up on the spot.