There is a lot of wisdom in history and we should study it, because as we know, it tends to repeat itself.
Now I come to the point, in which the reflection in the mirror does not resemble its original anymore. It used to do but that has changed. Tolkien portrayed here the landscape from his early memories, his dreamland once found in Sarehole. By means of the characters of the book, he could enjoy all the beauty of the unspoiled nature again, once more he had a chance to climb the trees, dive into the pure waters of the river, pick the mushrooms in the evergreen meadows, listen to the songs of the birds. I would say it was for him a kind of refuge from the common grey reality and it works the same with the reader. But the purpose was not only to escape the ugly and dirty town, I suppose he intended to remind us this essential element of our existence, the importance of the surrounding nature. He suggested we needed less noise and more green, we ought to return back to it since we are part of it. Problems arise whenever we separate ourselves from that source of life. We are not robots yet to be independent from the biosphere. We still cannot do without oxygen, water, sunshine and many more things that come from the nature. Knowing all this, can we abandon it then?
As I said already, Tolkien loved nature and admired its mighty power. Reading his vivid descriptions we come to knowledge that we are almost meaningless next to it. It makes us kneel down in front of it and listen to its peaceful pace. Then we realise that we do not own the land, but on the contrary, the land rather owns us. If we try, we can learn to live in harmony together – but first we should start playing our given roles as a part of it and stop pretending to be its masters. Going through his books and enjoying the breathtaking adventures, we read of the splendid landscape of the Middle-Earth where everything teems with life. Deep forests are inhabited by wild animals of all sorts, there grow all different trees , it is full of fascinating plants of various scents etc. The tiny streams as well as the mighty rivers are so clear that you can drink of it, you can catch some lively fish with your bare hands. You run across the blooming meadows with butterflies flying around, the wind is blowing through your hair heading for the gorgeous valleys, you hear the voice of the ocean and seagulls crying on the shores. But there is much more, e.g. Tolkien's unforgettable appreciation for the green spring.