[simeonf]

Gandalf says this in the movies, not in the book. However the descriptive language is drawn from Frodo's dream in the barrow downs and his experience sailing into west at the end of LOTR.

> And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.

[The_Colonel]

But "sailing into the west" is not a metaphor for death, Valinor is not a metaphor for heaven (as it's a real place within LOTR world where e.g. Frodo dies). Gandalf's movie quote does not appear to be based on book material.

[nyokodo]

> But "sailing into the west" is not a metaphor for death, Valinor is not a metaphor for heaven

Tolkien wasn't a fan of allegory that's for sure and you won't find a 1:1 between his fictional works and his own religious beliefs but a devout Catholic like him was definitely channelling heaven as the new glorified Eden to some degree when describing the "undying lands" that were lifted up into the heavens after the corruption and treachery of Numenor and ruled by the great spiritual powers that rule as stewards for the Creator. The movie did paraphrase, and perhaps I'm wrong but I don't think its something that Tolkien would have been offended by.