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J. R. R. Tolkien Quotes

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Famous J. R. R. Tolkien Quotes

“The Sword of Elendil was forged anew by Elvish smiths, and on its blade was traced a device of seven stars set between the crescent Moon and rayed Sun, and about them was written many runes; for Aragorn son of Arathorn was going to war upon the marches of Mordor. Very bright was that sword when it was made whole again; the light of the sun shone redly in it, and the light of the moon shone cold, its edge was hard and keen. And Aragorn gave it a new name and called it Andúril, Flame of the West.”

MadeWarHardWholeLightNamesStarsSunWrittenSonColdMoonWestSevenEdgesFlamesMarchDevicesBladesForgedGoing To WarCrescentRunesCrescent MoonMordor
Book:THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING
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“They hammered on the outer gate and called, but there was at first no answer; and then to their surprise someone blew a horn, and the lights in the windows went out. A voice shouted in the dark: 'Who's that? Be off! You can't come in. Can't you read the notice: No admittance between sundown and sunrise?' 'Of course we can't read the notice in the dark,' Sam shouted back. 'And if hobbits of the Shire are to be kept out in the wet on a night like this, I'll tear down your notice when I find it.”

IfsFirstsLightNightCoursesVoiceDarkAnswersTearsWindowSurpriseGatesWetSunriseHornsHammeredShireAdmittance
Book:The Lord of the Rings: The return of the King
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“I do not know what is happening. The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. [...] I do not believe that darkness will endure!”

KnowsMindBelieveHeartEndsReasonLightJoyEvilDarknessMy HeartHappeningsEndureDenyThe End Of The DayNo ReasonWakingLimbs
Book:The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
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“I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate. . . If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

IfsWorldLittlesWould BeSongFatherWishWaitingGoldDeedsSilverGatesHallsCheerGold And SilverThorin
Book:The Hobbit
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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.”

SpiritualResultsPrinciplesGreatnessHumilityPrideUniversalSlaveryDemocratRingsSmallnessOrcs
Book:The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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“Pippin glanced in some wonder at the face now close beside his own, for the sound of that laugh had been gay and merry. Yet in the wizard's face he saw at first only lines of care and sorrow; though as he looked more intently he perceived that under all there was a great joy: a fountain of mirth enough to set a kingdom laughing, were it to gush forth.”

FirstsEnoughCareFacesJoySoundLinesWonderLaughingSawsSorrowGayKingdomsFountainWizardsMerryMirthGreat JoyPippin
Book:The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
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“On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a living bough there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel... Very tall they were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.”

WellsLongTwoEyeAgeBeautifulSidesMemoriesWhiteLordTreeHairGoldProfoundDepthGravesSatChairsSilverTallStarlightGaladriel
Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
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“And now at last it comes. You will give me the Ring freely! In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the Morning and the Night! Fair as the Sea and the Sun and the Snow upon the Mountain! Dreadful as the Storm and the Lightning! Stronger than the foundations of the earth. All shall love me and despair!”

GivingEarthLastsBeautifulNightDarkLordMorningSunSeaTerribleMountainDespairFairsGive MeStrongerFoundationStormRingsSnowQueensLightningGaladriel
Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
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“Is it not a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt for so small a thing? So small a thing! And I have seen it only for an instant in the house of Elrond! Could I not have a sight of it again?" Frodo looked up. His heart went suddenly cold. He caught the strange gleam in Boromir's eyes, yet his face was still kind and friendly. "It is best that it should lie hidden," he answered. "As you wish. I care not." said Boromir.”

ShouldHeartKindSaidStillsEyeCareFacesLyingSufferingHouseWishDoubtFateStrangeColdSightCaughtInstantFriendlyI CareGleamFrodoElrond
Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
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“For Isildur would not surrender it to Elrond and Círdan who stood by. They counselled him to cast it into the fire of Orodruin night at hand... But Isildur refused this counsel, saying: 'This I will have as weregild for my father's death, and my brother's. Was it not I that dealt the Enemy his death-blow?' And the Ring that he held seemed to him exceedingly fair to look on; and he would not suffer it to be destroyed.”

LooksHandsNightSufferingFatherEnemyFireBrotherFairsCastsBlowRingsSurrenderDestroyedMy BrotherSauronElrond
Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
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“I am old, Gandalf. I don't look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed! Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can't be right. I need a change, or something.”

IfsKnowsNeedsFeelsWellsLooksHeartMeanHas BeensToo MuchMy HeartTiredBreadNeed A ChangeFellowship Of The RingI Need A Change
Book:The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings
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“Upon the hearth the fire is red, Beneath the roof there is a bed; But not yet weary are our feet, Still round the corner we may meet A sudden tree or standing stone That none have seen but we alone. Tree and flower and leaf and grass, Let them pass! Let them pass!”

MayStillsFireTreeFeetFlowerBedRedStandingStonesRoundsCornersGrassRoofWearyLeafs
Book:The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings
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“Silver flow the streams from Celos to Erui In the green fields of Lebennin! Tall grows the grass there. In the wind from the Sea The white lilies sway, And the golden bells are shaken of mallos and alfirin In the green fields of Lebennin, In the wind from the Sea!”

GrowsWhiteSeaFieldsWindFlowGreenGoldenGrassStreamsSilverTallBellsLiliesGreen Fields
Book:The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings
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“I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author.”

ThinkingDoneEnoughGrewReaderManifestationDislikeDominationAllegory
Book:The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings
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“Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and pipes and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashipn the theme of Iluvatar to a great music; and a sound arose of endless interchanging melodies woven in harmony that passed beyond hearing into the depths and into the heights, and the places of the dwelling of Iluvatar were filled to overflowing, and the music and the echo of the music went out into the Void, and it was not void.”

SoundVoiceSingingHarmonyFilledDepthHearingEndlessHeightThemeMelodyVoidOrgansEchoesDwellingPipeWovenTrumpetsGreat MusicChoirHarpsSilmarillionChoir Singing
Author:J. R. R. Tolkien
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