The Silmarillion Metaphors and Similes

The Silmarillion Metaphors and Similes

Darkness metaphor

Tolkien uses a metaphor to describe the devastating historical events of Middle Earth: "The darkness of those days." By describing those days as "dark," Tolkien emphasizes the tragic events that took place.

Fountain metaphor

Tolkien uses a metaphor to describe the tragic source of many great things. He suggests that anything joyful and cheerful, has an underlying tragedy:

“For if joyful is the fountain that rises in the sun, its springs are in the wells of sorrow unfathomable at the foundations of the Earth.”

Lúthien

Tolkien uses a beautiful simile to describe Lúthien, comparing the color of her eyes to the evening sky, which gives her a mystical and mysterious quality:

"Blue was her raiment as the unclouded heaven, but her eyes were grey as the starlit evening."

The Elves

The narrator describes that “The doom of the Elves is to be immortal, to love the beauty of the world, to bring it to full flower with their gifts of delicacy and perfection, to last while it lasts."

This metaphor emphasizes the fact that the elves must try to make the world a better place and to develop it into its full potential. This is represented by the image of the world reaching its "full flower."

Galadriel simile

A simile is used to describe the beauty of Galadriel, emphasizing her beautiful hair. By comparing her hair to gold, Tolkien suggests there is something valuable and precious about her:

“A sister they had, Galadriel, most beautiful of all the house of Finwë; her hair was lit with gold as though it had caught in a mesh the radiance of Laurelin.”

Update this section!

You can help us out by revising, improving and updating this section.

Update this section

After you claim a section you’ll have 24 hours to send in a draft. An editor will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.