[Kransha]

There I halted for a long while. [etcetera]

As mentioned, the Foreward to LotR gives us some abnormal insight into the mind of our revered author, Professor Tolkien. Here, specifically, Tolkien speaks of the generic hardships of writing literature. Note, perhaps, that he was drawn to a halt in his writing at numerous places, all of which would've left his readers hanging in the dankes, darkest pit of suspense-wrought confusion. This leads those who speculate on such matters to believe that Tolkein may not, in fact, have known where his books were headed on their grand scale abroad. This may be an incorrect assumption, since the dramatic haltings of the 'typing and re-typing' may merely have been based in time management, or simple author interest in the subject matter, but one would think that the latter was not the case, since Tolkien indicates that most of the points he stopped at were points of crucial importance (i.e. Moria, prelude to Pelennor, etc). But, yet again, I may be generalizing.

Some quotes to be paraphrased that have aroused controversy, or possibly confirmed its absence resolutely, are as follows, unmentioned above:

'I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author'

One of the singular quotes from the forward (as read from my beloved, two-decade old, leftover Ballantine edition with the jacket withered off), represents a great deal of importance, at least in my mind, since so many thoughts of allegory or symbolism have 'spawned,' for lack of a better word, around this edition and the Professor's whole legacy. For purpose, Tolkien suggests with a blunt but eloquent simplicity, in my opinion (must be careful not to incur the wrath of those who disagree), that the two areas exist, both, in the works present under his name. There is a certain degree of allegory that is applicable, though it has been somewhat contorted over the years, but not to rashly, and a certain degree of applicability that is allegorical, though I have no idea whatsoever that statement intends...

To them, and to all who have been pleased by this book, especially those Across the Water for whom it is specially intended, I dedicate this edition.

(Italics mine own). Since I have read the paraphrased quote above this one, referencing allegory and applicability, this line means little to me except as a dedication from a father of a soldier and a grandfather to those who read and were, in turn, inspired by his works, to them. After reading the above quote, you see that this is all this is, since the remark entailing special intention probably refers in full to the fact that Chris Tolkien was enlisted in the RAF at the time (aldo subsequently revealed through the Foreward at the dawn of this edition. Some would-be philosophers of yesterday and today, may have found 'unapplicable allegory' in this statement, and allegory which I saw, but didn't exactly confide in. I make the assumption that you, my fellow BDers, know of the allegorical symbolism I speak of, so I will fade here, as the discussion is oozing into controversy, which my feeble brain is oft unable to comprehend.