25 J.R.R. Tolkien Quotes to Help You Climb Out of Life’s Hole

These J. R. R. Tolkien quotes illustrate his creative, religious, and inspirational side.

If you are a fan of fantasy stories, then you already know who J. R. R. Tolkien is.

He is a legend who wrote The Hobbit and Lord of The Rings.

He was also an academic, poet, and philologist.

He also served as a professor and fellow at several universities.

Creativity was a dominant trait in his family, as they were clock and watchmakers.

They also made and sold pianos.

Where did hobbits themselves come from?

Hobbits are a fictional race born in Tolkien’s imagination.

He created an origin source for the word, using an old English word, holbylta, which translates to “hole-dweller.”

There were three groups of hobbits, and Tolkien also invented a language for them to use.

Keep reading to find out just how extensive an undertaking it was to craft these stories.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Read more related content on our inspirational quotes category page.

J. R. R. Tolkien quotes about faith, God, and religion

1. “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

2. “No half-heartedness and no worldly fear must turn us aside from following the light unflinchingly.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

3. “I am a Christian… so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat.’ — though it contains (and in a legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

4. “Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament… There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

5. “The only cure for sagging or fainting faith is Communion. Though always Itself, perfect and complete and inviolate, the Blessed Sacrament does not operate completely and once for all in any of us. Like the act of faith, it must be continuous and grow by exercise. Frequency is of the highest effect. Seven times a week is more nourishing than seven times at intervals.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien quotes about adventure

6. “Little by little, one travels far.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

7. “Home is behind; the world ahead.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

8. “Not all those who wander are lost.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

9. “I think I’m quite ready for another adventure.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

10. “The world is not in your books and maps; it is out there.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

11. “The wide world is all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot forever fence it out.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

12. “Don’t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

13. “This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

14. “We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

15. “The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the road has gone, and I must follow if I can.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

16. “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

17. “I feel that as long as the Shire lies behind, safe and comfortable, I shall find wandering more bearable: I shall know that somewhere there is a firm foothold, even if my feet cannot stand there again.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

18. “Still, round the corner, there may wait a new road or a secret gate, and though I oft have passed them by, a day will come at last when I shall take the hidden paths that run west of the moon, east of the sun.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

19. “Then something tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking stick.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

Inspirational J. R. R. Tolkien quotes

20. “Courage is found in unlikely places.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

21. “I will not say, do not weep, for not all tears are evil.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

22. “You can only come to the morning through the shadows.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

23. “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

24. “There is some good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

25. “If most of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” ― J. R. R. Tolkien

What did you learn from these J. R. R. Tolkien quotes?

Just how many languages did he have to develop for his stories?

Well, his own creative genius allowed him to invent 15 languages for The Lord of The Rings.

He wrote the book to appease his readers, who wanted to know more about the realm of the hobbits.

Bilbo Baggins, who starts the book out as a thief, is the main character of The Hobbit, became a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings.

He was also the narrator for Tolkien’s Middle Earth.

It takes a long time to weave such an epic tale, especially one that requires 15 made-up languages.

If you are wondering how long it took, it might shock you to know that it took 17 years!

What is a project that you have worked on for that long?

Let us know in the comment section below!

You can also leave any of your other favorite J. R. R. Tolkien quotes and sayings.