Figurative Language In The Hobbit

Forests have long been significant in literature. Dark, enchanted, haunted woods carry a special meaning and signify an important stage in any journey.To enter a forest is to go into the realm of fears, which can be as dangerous as it can be enlightening. Thus enchanted woods present a test to characters’ abilities, a challenge to their courage and, as a result, lead to important inner transformations: if a character enters such a forest, they won’t be the same on leaving it as before they entered. In Chapter 8, Spiders and Flies, Tolkien uses imagery, figurative language and diction to describe a and ominous setting for this chapter in The Hobbit.

Tolkien uses a large amount of imagery in his writing which can be seen through setting or places

Infact many of his pieces includes examples of similes, metaphors, and personification. These different forms of figurative language help the reader create a "mental picture" inside the mind. For example,”They walked in single file. The entrance to the path was like a sort of arch leading into a gloomy tunnel made by two great trees that leant together, too old and strangled with ivy and hung with lichen to bear more than a few blackened leaves. The path itself was narrow and wound in and out among the trunks.” The figurative language used gives a basic rundown on the setting. It explains the unattractive features of Mirkwood. Tolkien compares the trees as a an arch, to give the right mindset of what their situation is. He uses common comparisons to relate to the modern world yet it still fits in with his unique writing style. Tolkien exemplifies the mysterious yet troubling feeling that radiates off the forest by including many creatures that are united with the darkness,“They slept all closely huddled together, and took it in turns to watch; and when it was Bilbo's turn he would see gleams in the darkness around them, and sometimes pairs of yellow or red or green eyes would stare at him from a little distance, and then slowly fade and disappear and slowly shine out again in another place. And sometimes they would gleam down from the branches just above him; and that was most terrifying. But the eyes that