Beyond environmental imagination: Revisiting J.R.R. Tolkien's literary landscapes in The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955)
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2022
Abstract
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973) was highly influential in shaping modern fantasy literature and popularising medievalism. Scholarship has examined various aspects of Tolkien's literary imagination in The Lord of the Rings (1954-1955); however, to date, there has been no thorough scrutiny of the significance of aesthetics in his creative works. This paper contends that Tolkien's magnum opus as part of his long-life myth-making project was shaped profoundly by the late 18th-century aesthetics of the sublime. It draws on Burkean physiological sublime to argue that contrary to Kantian rationality, certain Tolkienian landscapes demonstrate the qualities of the natural sublime and generate physical experiences on the observer that accentuates the primacy of emotions over reason. The article proposes a new direction in Tolkien studies by highlighting the aesthetic overtones of Tolkien's engagement with the sublime, which played a significant role in constructing his English mythology.
Keywords
Aesthetics, Burke, Landscapes, Sublime, The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien
Divisions
Englisharts
Funders
None
Publication Title
Literature Compass
Volume
19
Issue
8
Publisher
Wiley
Publisher Location
111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA