Mystical imagery
Tolkien is known for his use of mythical, mystical imagery in his writing, which creates an other-worldly feel to the setting. In the following passage, he brings the magic of Middle Earth to life:
“It is said by the Eldar that in the water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur more than in any substance that is in this Earth; and many of the Children of Ilúvatar hearken still unsated to the voices of the Sea, and yet know not for what they listen.”
Lightness and darkness
Tolkien uses the imagery of lightness and darkness in order to represent the tragedy and beauty of life. Here, the narrator maintains that through the darkness of history there are splashes of light and hope:
“Among the tales of sorrow and of ruin that came down to us from the darkness of those days, there are yet some in which amid weeping there is joy and under the shadow of death light that endures."
The splendors of the earth
The narrator uses imagery to describe "all the splendors of the world." This includes its "vast halls and spaces," its "wheeling fires," and "innumerable stars." In using this kind of imagery, Tolkien paints a beautiful picture, contributing to his creation of a rich literary world.
