Melodrama in Middle-earth

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

Now, does anyone else find this a bit strange? That this event should be described in such grave terms? I get it: it's sad when a child leaves her mother never to return. But was there really no grief greater than this in history?

It's not just a matter of a child leaving the home. You have to understand the essence of what "The Gift of the One to Men" is.

Eru created the universe (Ea) and the Valar/Maier entered into it. There to remain AS LONG AS EA ENDURED.
The Eldar, Eru created so that they also would remain within Ea AS LONG AS EA ENDURED. Their bodies may be destroyed (and their spirits go to Mandos) but the Valar could rebuild the body and rehouse the spirit so that fellowship was only interupted.

But the essential gift to Men (Atani) was that they would leave the universe (Ea), NEVER TO RETURN.

For Melian, it meant that she would NEVER see Luthien again as long as the universe lasted!
It's that *NEVER AS LONG AS EA LASTS* that makes the grief so great.

And it is made more poignant by the fact that Melian had always EXPECTED that she and Luthien would HAVE fellowship, not just for a few years (like Atani) - but that their fellowship would LAST - - AS LONG AS EA ENDURES.

From the expectation of Universe-Enduring Fellowship, to the reality of Universe-Enduring Separation.
The closest I can think of in our experience would be for a young newlywed, terribly in love with their spouse, to have that spouse unexpectedly and tragically die on their honeymoon. No more lifetime of growing and loving together - all ripped away with no hope of remedy.

That is the same grief that Elrond later experienced when Arwen chose mortality.

The flip-side, however, was that Beren and Luthien TOGETHER passed beyond Ea. And, similarly, Aragorn and Arwen TOGETHER passed beyond Ea. And there, as Aragorn told Arwen would be (for them) MORE THAN MEMORY.