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Every writer making a secondary world wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from Reality, or are flowing into it.

J. R. R. Tolkien

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J. R. R. Tolkien
Age: 81 †
Born: 1892
Born: January 3
Died: 1973
Died: September 2
Author
Essayist
Historian
Illustrator
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Literary Critic
Military Officer
Poet
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John Ronald Reuel Tolkien
John R. R. Tolkien
J-R-R Tolkien
Tolkien
J.R.R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
Writer
Flowing
Quality
Makers
Wish
Wishes
Making
Hopes
Reality
Peculiar
Real
Measure
Secondary
Every
Details
Derived
World
Drawing
Maker

More quotes by J. R. R. Tolkien

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Better mistrust undeserved than rash words.
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Now when Túrin learnt from Finduilas of what had passed, he was wrathful, and he said to Gwindor: 'In love I hold you for your rescue and sake-keeping. But now you have done ill to me, friend, to betray my right name, and call my doom upon me, from which I would lie hid.' But Gwindor answered: 'The doom lies in yourself, not in your name.
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But do you remember Gandalf’s words: Even Gollum may have something yet to do? But for him, Sam, I could not have destroyed the Ring. The Quest would have been in vain, even at the bitter end. So let us forgive him! For the Quest is achieved, and now all is over. I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam
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I don't know, and I would rather not guess.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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What does your heart tell you?
J. R. R. Tolkien
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He may become like a glass filled with a clear light for eyes to see that can.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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In one thing you have not changed, dear friend, said Aragorn: you still speak in riddles. What? In riddles? said Gandalf. No! For I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to the long explanations needed by the young are wearying.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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And long there he lay, an image of the splendour of the Kings of Men in glory undimmed before the breaking of the world.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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His love for Frodo rose above all other thoughts, and forgetting his peril he cried aloud: 'I'm coming Mr. Frodo!
J. R. R. Tolkien
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The stars are far brighter Than gems without measure, The moon is far whiter Than silver in treasure The fire is more shining On hearth in the gloaming Than gold won by mining, So why go a-roaming? O! Tra-la-la-lally Come back to the Valley.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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If this is victory, then our hands are too small to hold it.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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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
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We are being at once wisely aware of our own frivolity if we avoid hitting and whacking and prefer 'striking' and 'smiting' talk and chat and prefer 'speech' and 'discourse' well-bred, brilliant, or polite noblemen (visions of snobbery columns in the Press, and fat men on the Riviera) and prefer the 'worthy, brave and courteous men' of long ago.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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Then hope unlooked-for came so suddenly to Eomer's heart, and with it the bite of care and fear renewed, that he said no more, but turned and went swiftly from the hall.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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I was talking aloud to myself. A habit of the old: they choose the wisest person present to speak to
J. R. R. Tolkien
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I am not a 'democrat' only because 'humility' and equality are spiritual principles corrupted by the attempt to mechanize and formalize them, with the result that we get not universal smallness and humility, but universal greatness and pride, till some Orc gets hold of a ring of power--and then we get and are getting slavery.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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It is not the strength of the body that counts, but the strength of the spirit.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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You can make the Ring into an allegory of our own time, if you like: and allegory of the inevitable fate that waits for all attempts to defeat evil power by power.
J. R. R. Tolkien
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My 'Sam Gamgee' is indeed a reflexion of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognised as so far superior to myself.
J. R. R. Tolkien