Mythopoeic writing is evocative. It speaks to our longings. What the best stories awaken in us is yearning and recognition, yearning for something “longer ago, further away or yet about to be,” recognition of something we have never met, but have always known. A perfect example is Sam’s response in The Return of the King…

“The beauty of it smote his heart…and hope returned to him….in the end the Shadow was only a small passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach.”