Long defeat

The Long Defeat is a phrase denoting an apparently impossible but noble battle. The phrase was used by J. R. R. Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings to refer to the long struggle against the evil forces of Sauron.

Specifically, Lady Galadriel, recollecting her summoning of the White Council and the ensuing long struggle, says to the hobbit Frodo, 'Through the ages of the world we have fought the long defeat.'

Apparently, in accordance with his strong Christian beliefs, Tolkien viewed all of human history since the fall of man to be a long defeat, but with an expectation for a final victory over evil.

Other Usage
This term has has been used in some circles to denote the struggle against the ill effects of poverty and injustice.

This usage was popularized in the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder. This book describes the efforts of Dr. Paul Farmer, who selflessly serves the poorest of the poor in a medical facilities in Haiti and other poor countries.

In the book, Dr. Farmer (who was fond of the Lord of the Rings trilogy from an early age) explains to the author:

I have fought the long defeat and brought other people on to fight the long defeat, and I’m not going to stop because we keep losing. Now I actually think sometimes we may win. I don’t dislike victory.... We want to be on the winning team, but at the risk of turning our backs on the losers, no, it’s not worth it. So you fight the long defeat.

While this may sound defeatist, when used in this way, the term implies to those who use it that since the battle appears hopeless, any progress, or even a single life saved, can be viewed as a victory.

Music
Sara Groves released Tell Me What You Know in November 2007, with a cut titled "The Long Defeat" (lyrics: |lyrics). She explains in an interview that she was inspired by the long defeat comment in Mountains Beyond Mountains, which inspired her to work with International Justice Mission.

The band "Choose Your Own Adventure" released a CD in 2005 titled The Long Defeat.