Part 7/8:
Tolkien's writing appears to echo his own experiences, particularly from World War I, where the gruesome realities of war left a profound impact on his worldview. In a letter, he alludes to how the Dead Marshes might have been inspired by recollections of battlefields transformed into grotesque landscapes filled with the remnants of the deceased.
The Dead Marshes invite further questions about the nature of the spirits trapped within—are they conscious remnants of the past or mere phantoms that exist only in this twilight realm? The dancing lights that flicker are more than mere illusions; they hint at power, tragedy, and memory entwined within the murky surface.