The discarded bits we get from BoLT convey the image of Earendil as a guy who enjoys sailing, but in the published Silm everything is so heavy... He wants to sail to find his parents and to ask the Valar for help, then he is “defeated by shadows and enchantments, driven by repelling winds, until longing for Elwing” and “a sudden fear” which comes from bad dreams tells him to get the fuck home and fast. The word “adventures” to describe his experiences alleviates it a little, and him dancing with mermaids is like 100% always canon in my heart, but it does give me the vibe that the Lay of Earendil is like, the Middle Earth Odyssey or smth.
I was thinking about this because when he asks Elwing to choose for them/choose first, he says he is weary of the world, and I was like, oh man, this little joyful fella who took so much joy in sailing and braving the world is now like, jaded or tired of it. But in the Silm you don’t even get that contrast :/