Melodrama in Middle-earth

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Yes, but Elrond's situation is less severe, because a) he predicted this outcome, and b) he could take comfort in a similar story that happened before.

That's a good point, Galadriel55, I hadn't thought of that. Though it is also <possible> the foresight worked more to mitigate the initial emotional shock, rather than the underlying or continuing grief of loss.

There is one other tidbit I just ran across again from LOTR/ToTK "Many Partings", after the funeral of Theoden and official betrothal of Faramir & Eowen

Arwen ... said farewell to her brethern. None saw her last meeting with Elrond her father, for they went up into the hills and there spoke long together, and bitter was their parting that should endure beyond the ends of the world.

That "beyond the ends of the world" caught my eye and, on considering, brought back to mind something I had forgotten. Namely, that:

• While Atani had a promise (tho often not really believed or understood) that they would depart Ea and go beyond "the circles of the world" (ie, to where Eru still dwealt).
• The Eldar had NO SUCH PROMISE. All they knew was that "Elves die not till the world dies" (Sil, chp 1). They had no promise for what would happen after that.

Finrod (in the Athrabeth in HoME vol 10) put it this way

The end will come. That we all know. And then we must die; we must perish utterly, it seems, for we belong to Arda., Beyond THE DAY ... we have no knowledge. And no one speaks to us of hope.

So, while men may have a hope of an afterlife (as it is called now), Melian and Elrond had a basis for seeing the loss as absolutely ETERNAL - never to see Luthien/Arwen again even after the end of Arda.

Thus "A parting that should endure beyond the ends of the world."

For me, while elevating the poignancy of the episode, this also highlights Elrond's nobility and wisdom: that even with this terrible loss before and around him (with Aragorn as the proximate cause) he continued to love and aid and support Aragorn - and delivered, of free-will, Arwen's hand to Aragorn in marriage sealing and afirmming his loss.