Quotes by J. R. R. Tolkien

All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Life

Not all those who wander are lost.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

Still round the corner there may wait, A new road or a secret gate.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

You have been chosen, and you must therefore use such strength and heart and wits as you have.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Love

Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Life

A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

Courage is found in unlikely places.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Courage

I dislike Allegory - the conscious and intentional allegory - yet any attempt to explain the purport of myth or fairytale must use allegorical language.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

Short cuts make long delays.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Life

It's the job that's never started as takes longest to finish.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

A safe fairyland is untrue to all worlds.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Life

It is plain indeed that in spite of later estrangement Hobbits are relatives of ours: far nearer to us than Elves, or even than Dwarves. Of old they spoke the languages of Men, after their own fashion, and liked and disliked much the same things as Men did. But what exactly our relationship is can no longer be discovered.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

'I wish life was not so short,' he thought. 'Languages take such a time, and so do all the things one wants to know about.'

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Life

In October 1920 I went to Leeds as Reader in English Language, with a free commission to develop the linguistic side of a large and growing School of English Studies, in which no regular provision had as yet been made for the linguistic specialist.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom

Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Love

They say it is the first step that costs the effort. I do not find it so. I am sure I could write unlimited 'first chapters'. I have indeed written many.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Success

The original 'Hobbit' was never intended to have a sequel - Bilbo 'remained very happy to the end of his days and those were extraordinarily long': a sentence I find an almost insuperable obstacle to a satisfactory link.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Happiness

A pen is to me as a beak is to a hen.

— J. R. R. Tolkien

Wisdom