"Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts!"

Blad The Inspirer

New Member
I really enjoyed the discussion in this week's lesson about the following quote: "Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts!"

When I looked at the quote this week, I couldn't help but look ahead to Sam in "The Black Gate is Closed", where the narrator says of him, "and after all he never had any real hope in the affair from the beginning; but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope, as long as despair could be postponed." In this, I think Sam is the embodiment of what Elrond is talking about. He is not looking too far ahead (because if he were, the lack of amdir would really trouble him), but rather he is going forward with a good heart. He is able to do this not because he is in a cheerful mood (in fact, he seems kind of miserable), but because he is a cheerful hobbit. He has the ability to focus on his lack of rope or insufficient pipe-weed rather than the amdir-lessness of the larger quest.

In class, Boromir was mentioned as the member who was going forward with the closest thing to a "bad heart." Boromir is looking too far ahead. He, like Sam, doesn't seem to have any real hope in the affair, as evidenced by most of what he says throughout the Council. However, Boromir is not a "cheerful man," so he really needs that hope (amdir), whether or not his despair for the fate of Gondor can be postponed. He looked at Gandalf and Elrond doubtfully in the council, so he probably sees no amdir in the quest for Mount Doom, and his comment that "mayhap the Sword-that-was-Broken may still stem the tide" is far from optimistic.

So, it seems that maybe Boromir can't go with a good heart because he is not a cheerful man, and so he needs to seek out and find some amdir, but in order to do that he has to look far ahead. But who could expect Boromir to be a cheerful man, after what he has experienced? I know he mentioned having a brother... I wonder if that guy would have been able to avoid looking too far ahead by going with a good heart...
 
Hi Blad,

I like your observations about Sam in connection with 'going with good heart'. I'm not so sure about your thoughts on Boromir.

I think that Boromir is full of estel upon the leaving of Rivendell. From his perception, God spoke directly to him and Faramir in a dream. He obeyed the command. He found answers to all the riddles in the dream. God is on his side. All should be well.

Boromir is not operating with 'bad heart', he is just operating under a totally different set of assumptions than Elrond and Gandalf. Has Elrond had a direct communication from God? No. Has Gandalf? No. Has Aragorn? No. To Boromir, he and Faramir are the Chosen Ones. God is talking to them. It is up to them to save the world, not Elrond, Gandalf, Aragorn or Frodo.

By analogy, when God instructed Joan of Arc to get the Dauphin crowned King of France in Reims cathedral, did Joan think that her job was done when she finally gained access to the Dauphin and the Court and told them God's instructions? No. Joan felt that they were too doubting, vacillating, un-believing to be trusted to follow the instructions. She had to go to Orleans to lift the siege. She had to get the court moving on the road to Reims. She had to win the battle of Patay to clear the way to Reims.

I think Boromir probably thinks much the same. The Council did not really seem to pay much attention to, or set much store in, the Divine Dream. Boromir thinks that it is really up to him and Faramir to save the world. Not these Elves and Wizards. God is not talking to them. God is talking to Boromir and Faramir.

Boromir has faith. He would not have left his position as head of Gondor's army, in Gondor's hour of need, and travelled 110 days and 400 leagues searching for Imladris, if he did not believe that he was following Divine Instructions.

Boromir, I think, is full of estel. 'God is with me. I have followed his instructions. All will be well. If I or Faramir need to do something more, God will give us more instructions.'

Yes, Boromir has no real faith that Elrond or Gandalf know exactly what they are doing, or that they should be in charge, but what they are doing aligns with the Dream, so Boromir is happy to go along for now.
 
Boromir, I think, is full of estel. 'God is with me. I have followed his instructions. All will be well. If I or Faramir need to do something more, God will give us more instructions.'


The only problem with this is imho: Boromir is not the spiritual guy - Faramir is - in their family.
 
I think it would be better to say that Faramir is far more of a spiritual guy. I don't think we have much evidence that Boromir is not a spiritual guy. He is spiritual enough to believe in the Divine Dream, and make many sacrifices to follow its instructions.
 
I think of Boromir as the Maedhros to Faramir's Fingon. Both noble and bent on defeating evil, but one was bound to his father's desires in a way that marred his judgment. I wonder if Elrond, who was under Maedhros' 'protection' for a while, could sense that conflict in Boromir
 
I think of Boromir as the Maedhros to Faramir's Fingon. Both noble and bent on defeating evil, but one was bound to his father's desires in a way that marred his judgment. I wonder if Elrond, who was under Maedhros' 'protection' for a while, could sense that conflict in Boromir

Neither of the elves mentioned seemed very spiritual to me? And regarding hope of any kind - both knew themselves ultimately doomed as Noldor. They were fighting against Morgoth to avenge Finwe, neither was really fighting to defend something, like Boromir does.
 
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Hi Kate,

I am somewhat baffled by your inference (by way of analogy) that Boromir was 'bound to his father's desires'. I don't think there is evidence of that. I think there is evidence to the contrary.

At the Council, Boromir says that he took the journey (to seek Imladris) on himself, and "Loth was my father to give me leave." So, here we have evidence of Boromir going against his father's desires. In Appendix A, we are told that, "Boromir, five years the elder, beloved by his father, was like him in face and pride, but in little else." So, Boromir was quite different from Denethor. Not likely that he would be 'bound to his father's desires'.

Of course, we have Denethor's statement, "Boromir was loyal to me and no wizard's pupil. He would have remembered his father's need, and would not have squandered what fortune gave." But, do we trust Denethor's judgement? We know that Denethor loved Boromir, and that Boromir was his favorite son. But, Boromir was 'like Denethor in face and pride, but in little else'. Gandalf doubts that Boromir would have been 'bound to his father's desires' in the matter of the Ring.

I don't think there is evidence that Boromir was particularly 'bound to his father's desires'. Did he agree with Denethor at all times and follow his wishes? No. Denethor might conceive of Boromir as the 'good and loyal son'. I doubt it. Boromir was his own man. It does not appear that he agreed with Denethor at all times or particularly molded himself in the image of his father.
 
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