The Fellowship of the Ring- Literary Techniques

Kelsey Schmitt
Literary Techniques

Frodo and his companions journeyed through the Shire. They had been straying from the path but eventually night fell and "Twilight was about them as they crept back to the lane. The West wind was sighing in the branches. Leaves were whispering. Soon the road began to fall gently but steadily into the dusk" (86). I love this quote because it illustrates the elegance of the forest. It demonstrates how beautiful their world is. This is somewhat ironic, because if they should fail in their quest the world would melt away before Sauron's bloodlust. It is in perfect contrast to how the East appears and foreshadows what their world may become. Tolkien chose to use this personification to give life to his lands, and bring a feeling of serenity to it--something that would inevitably be destroyed if the ring were to be lost.