Well, Elendur, good post! Great quote [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]
However, I do not think that alone can explain the sadness he filled his stories with... like the longing for Aman. After all, theese wonderful Elves where a "dying" race, and Middle-earth was doomed to become dull and un-glorious. Personally I find it very sad.
Frodo has to leave Middle-earth. He is like a soldier in the "wars of reality", that had done the greatest, but most sacrificing and desperate deeds, to me. Those guys could not continue their lifes like it had been before... they where marked for the rest of their lifes. Now that, is really sad! Frodo became very sad, but he accepted it, you know... he did not become "desperate". It did not bother him at all, he did not feel sorry for himself. He had no griefs, only sadness.
I think that this is very important to our question. Tolkien made a big point out of how romantic and "great" it was to be sad, and accept it. I think he loved sad and proud people. I know I should have read a biography on Tolkien, however, but... I have not. Personally i think he did not really like sad people who became desperate, non-resting, self-pitying... who does, really, save parhaps those who realises that they are just the same themself?
Sad persons can have just as much "joy" in life as cherry persons, some says. They think that this sadness is a greater, more-whordy state-of-mind. Its like; they bless the sadness. In Tolkien, the Elves were sad, and they were also a bit "higher" than the other... This makes it very clear to me. Tolkien admired sadness, but really did not like depressed, griefing persons. Hence; he was a sad person himself, and not depressed... at least he wanted to be sad.
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