Uploads from Adam Walker - Close Reading Poetry

Currently Playing: How to Read The Lord of the Rings | Tolkien’s Poetics of Enchantment | Lecture 13 (part 1/2)

In this lecture, we begin by asking: How should we read The Lord of the Rings? More than simple fantasy, Tolkien's masterpiece offers a meditation on myth, beauty, human creativity, and spiritual recovery. We explore Tolkien’s concept of sub-creation, the sacred human act of myth-making that participates in divine creativity. Drawing from Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories," we examine how the construction of Middle-earth operates like a Secondary World, governed by its own moral and metaphysical laws. We discuss mythopoesis, liturgical reading, and the power of story to renew our perception of reality, what Tolkien calls "recovery." Along the way, we consider the following: the theological depth of Tolkien's fantasy, the Ring as an anti-sacrament, mirroring the Eucharist in reverse, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry as mythic echoes of pre-fall harmony, Frodo as a reluctant prophet, carrying a Marian and Christological burden, and the Black Riders and the Nazgûl as symbols of despair and spiritual blindness. This lecture also situates Tolkien within the broader visionary tradition of literature, connecting him to Dante, Plato, Wordsworth, and Christian typology. Whether you're a lifelong Tolkien fan or new to his world, this video will give you a deeper understanding of The Lord of the Rings. 👉 Subscribe for more in-depth literary lectures. 👉 Join my Versed~ Community of live lectures and discussion: https://versedcommunity.mn.co/ #Tolkien #LordOfTheRings #Mythopoesis #OnFairyStories #MiddleEarth #LiteratureLecture #TolkienLecture #Theology #FantasyLiterature #Enchantment #CloseReading #PoeticsOfEnchantment