Fantasy is a certain means of saying something that you don't think would go over well if stated directly. Fantasy is the sugar that makes the medicine go down, and as an author, you may see the world (or just yourself) as needing to take the medicine. You add a few elves and princesses, castles and dragons, and suddenly you have all of the necessary parts to carry your message.
This link sarcastically lays out the formula for writing
successful fantasy.
My other favorite author, though more a scifi than fantasy writer, once said,
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Originally Posted by Frank Herbert, commenting about the long term effects of the fluoridated water 'experiment'
I'm working on a book that I'll publish next year. It's called "The Dosadi Experiment." It concerns a massive psychological experiment on a large population without their informed consent. The implications are all around us. You see, you can do this in science fiction because you're talking about another world, another people. It's way over there. (laughs) The reality comes back later.
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Note that this way of saying one thing while meaning something more important is used in more than just fantasy writings. A partial-preteristic view of the Christian Book of Revelation by John of Patmos (Also called 'the Apocalypse of John') uses what I would call flowery language to describe the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD by the Romans under Nero. One could not write such a book with the Romans hanging about, but could if the Romans were "Babylon" and "the beast;" your intended audience would know of whom you spoke, and the authorities would be none the wiser.
Regarding war, maybe Tolkien thought that his and following generations would know about the horrors of war first or second hand, and so why then fill in the details when persons imaginings/knowledge would work better. Or maybe he wanted to leave that horror behind and yet depict battles. Our family had a great uncle who participated in the battles in WWII, and he never spoke about what had happened to him 'over there.' He obviously didn't want to remember or reminisce about that, and that always struck me, as boys always brag about how tough they are, how many fights they'd been in, and how gross it all was. This man, in his silence, said much about the horror, and me only a child.
Did Tolkien consider this same thing, sanitizing his wars (albeit he did have the orcs toss 'head shot' over the walls of Minas Tirith) so that readers could fill in the gaps from the silence? Did he think that his readers would reject the addition of 'reality' into a fantasy text? How would it have helped knowing that Theoden's spleen was lying next to him, and that the King was slowing asphyxiating from his collapsed/punctured lungs etc?
Not sure what is meant by, "that poetry never lies because it never affirms anything;" regardless, this topic begs noting that famous (or infamous) poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson,
The Charge of the Light Brigade.
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"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Their's not to make reply,
Their's not to reason why,
Their's but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
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Just makes me want to jump upon a horse and ride into a valley surrounded by enemy cannon (or is it canon?), all due to some 'issue' with my commander, whether he was confused, angry, stupid, etc, and so get the joy of watching my fellows get their heads shot from their bodies, bodies blown into too large of pieces (I can still see the man that I spoke to, and not just bits), and pieces of flesh and bones that now will feed the worms...
My father had me watch the 1930's film version of
All Quiet on the Western Front (not a particularly gory film) before the government banned it again just so I could get a different take on war. Rah rah!
