I Found the Entwives!

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

As a matter of fact, Tolkien deliberately said that he wasn't writing allegory at all.

I would say it is a matter of debate; there are numerous refferences in his letters to the inevitability of allegory, out of which I will quote a few:

Originally Posted by Letter #109

of course, Allegory and Story converge, meeting somewhere in Truth. So that the only perfectly consistent allegory is a real life; and the only fully intelligible story is an allegory

Originally Posted by Letter #131

I dislike Allegory - the conscious and intentional allegory - yet any attempt to explain the purport of myth or fairytale must use allegorical language.

Originally Posted by Letter #163

In a larger sense, it is I suppose impossible to write any 'story' that is not allegorical in proportion as it 'comes to life'; since each of us is an allegory, embodying in a particular tale and clothed in the garments of time and place, universal truth and everlasting life