W. Morris’s tradition in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy

This article offers a comprehensive review of W. Morris’ influence on the epic fantasy of J.R.R. Tolkien. The purpose of the research is to reflect how Morris’ tradition influenced the development of Tolkien’s fantastic prose - which later formed a separate subgenre of epic fantasy - and the whole fantasy genre. The objectives of the study include tracing the history of the development of fantastic element in literature - which served as a basis for the works of both authors - and finding poetological similarities and differences between W. Morris and J.R.R. Tolkien. The comparative study is based on the works of V. Gopman and K. Massey as well as on the original writings of Morris and Tolkien. The result of the study is the justification for W. Morris as the natural literary precursor of Tolkien. Based on the influence and partial borrowing of Morris’ imagery and motifs, Tolkin develops the theoretical foundation for the genre of magical fairy tale, which will later be called “fantasy”.