Shippey speaking on Tolkien's take on light elves and dark elves:
the difference between light elves and dark elves has nothing to with what they look like, it's whether they have seen the light, or whether they are still buried in the dark.
and the ones who have seen the light are the ones who have seen the light of the sun and moon, and they are the ones who call all elves that haven't or didn't make the journey to Aman, or the Undying Lands, the dark elves.
which of course the dark elves deeply resent. nevertheless, that's the distinction they make.
When one sees light most often the first desire is to share it.
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