Favorite Tolkien Quote/Passage

[Amra_the_Lion]

Along with so many already listed here that I love, this one has always been one of my faves...

"The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars. Venerable he seemed as a king crowned with many winters, and yet hale as a tried warrior in the fullness of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell and mighty among both Elves and Men."

– The Fellowship of the Ring, Many Meetings

[AETelcontar24]

"'War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend...'" -Faramir, The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien

A subtle passage, it is a reminder that while so much of Tolkien's works center around war and destruction, it is not the point of the story. The trials and strife that the peoples of Middle-earth face is in an effort to tear down tyranny, shadow and oppression, not for war-mongering.

[Reodred14]

"To Isengard! Though Isengard be ringed and barred with doors of stone;
Though Isengard be strong and hard, as cold as stone and bare as bone,
We go, we go, we go to war, to hew the stone and break the door;
For bole and bough are burning now, the furnace roars - we go to war!
To land of gloom with tramp of doom, with roll of drum, we come, we come;
To Isengard with doom we come!
With doom we come, with doom we come!"

--- The Last March of the Ents

[Morthaur]

"To Isengard! Though Isengard be ringed and barred with doors of stone;
Though Isengard be strong and hard, as cold as stone and bare as bone,
We go, we go, we go to war, to hew the stone and break the door;
For bole and bough are burning now, the furnace roars - we go to war!
To land of gloom with tramp of doom, with roll of drum, we come, we come;
To Isengard with doom we come!
With doom we come, with doom we come!"

--- The Last March of the Ents

I was particulary annoyed that this song was ommitted from the film and the ents had to be tricked into smashing Isengard.

[Rorky]

"The field was lost; but still Hurin and Huor and the remnant of the house of Hador stoodfirm with Turgon of Gondolin, and the hosts of Morgoth could not yet win the Pass of Sirion. Then Hurin spoke to Turgon, saying: 'Go now, lord, while time is! For in you lives the last hope of the Eldar, and while Gondolin stands Morgoth shall still know fear in his heart'. But Turgon answered: 'Not long now can Gondolin be hidden; and being discovered it must fall.'

Then Huor spoke and said: 'Yet if it stands but a little while, then out of your house shall come the hope of Elves and Men. This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and from me a new star shall arise. Farewell!'
...
But the Men of Dor-lomin held the rearguard, as Hurin and Huor desired; for they did not wish in their hearts to leave the Northlands, and if they could not win back to their homes, there they would stand to the end.
...
Last of all Hurin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time he slew Hurin cried: 'Aure entuluva! Day shall come again!'"

- The Simarillion, Chapter 20, Of the Fifth Battle.

I just love that passage, it just stirs my heart. The entire chapter is just very emotional for me, with the treachery of the Easterlings making my blood boil and then my heart goes to the Elves and the Men, who suffered greatly in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. But then the Last Stand of the House of Hador just...i dont know how to describe it, its heart wrenching but also uplifting in a way, with their selfless sacrifice and valour through which the hope of the two kindreds would come.

[Boraxxe]

Thank you Rorky.

I also get filled with emotion, or feeling or what-ever when I read the travails of Huor and Hurin.

These are true heroes.

[scaliper]

Somehow, it's the ends that always get me...

And the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew, and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth; and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore glimmered and was lost. And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed on into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.
But to Sam the evening deepened to darkness as he stood at the Haven; and as he looked at the grey sea he saw only a shadow on the waters that was soon lost in the west. There still he stood far into the night, hearing only the sigh and murmer of the waves on the shores of Middle-earth, and the sound of them sank deep into his heart. Beside him stood Merry and Pippin, and they were silent.
At last the three companions turned away, and never again looking back they rode slowly homewards; and they spoke no word to one another until they came back to the Shire, but each had great comfort in his freinds on the long grey road.
At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland; and already they were singing again as they went. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more. And he went on, and there was a yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
He drew a deep breath. "Well, I'm back," he said.

And latest of all the Keepers of the Three Rings rode to the Sea, and Master Elrond took there the ship that Cirdan had made ready. In the twilight of autumn it sailed out of Mithlond, until the seas of the Bent World fell away beneath it, and the winds of the round sky troubled it no more, and borne upon the high airs above the mists of the world it passed into the Ancient West, and an end was come for the Eldar of story and of song.

I also get tingles at the Prophecy of Mandos in The Shaping of Middle Earth:

When the world is old and the Powers grow weary, then Morgoth shall come back through the Door out of the Timeless Nightl and he shall destroy the Sun and the Moon, but Earendil shall come upon him as a white flame and drive him from the airs. Then shall the last battle be gathered on the fields of Valinor. In that day Tulkas shall strive with Melkor, and on his right shall stand Fionwe and on his left Turin Turambar, son of Hurin, Conqueror of Fate, coming from the Halls of Mandos; and it shall be the black sword of Turin that deals unto Melkor his death and final end; and so shall the children of Hurin and all Men be avenged.
Thereafter Earth shall be broken and re-made, and the Silmarils be recovered out of sea and earth and air; for Earendil shall descend and yield up that flame that he hath had in keeping. Then Feanor shall bear the Three and yield them unto Yavanna Palurien; and she will break them and with their fire rekindle the Two Trees, and a great light shall come forth; and the Mountains of Valinor shall be levelled, so that the light goes out all over the world. In that light the Gods will again grow young, and the Elves awake and all their dead arise, and the purpose of Iluvatar be fulfilled concerning them. But of Men in that day the prophecy speaks not, save of Turin only, and him it names among the Gods.

I also love "The Lay of Leithian" in its entirety, and think it the most depressing thing in all of literature that it remained unfinished

Just a few more...First, the aforementioned

Above the darkness rides the Sun
And stars forever dwell.
I will not say the day is done,
Nor bid the stars farewell.

Also, Fingon when he hears the trumpets of Turgon before Nirnaeth Arnoediad:

"Utúlie'n aure! Aiya Eldalie ar Atanatári, utúlie'n aure! The day has come! Behold, people of the Eldar and Fathers of Men, the day has come!" And all those who heard his great voice echo in the hills answered crying: "Auta i lóme! The night is passing!"

I don't know why, but that line of Quenya stuck in my memory.

[KonstantinPalailogos]

The world is grey, the mountains old
The forge's fire is ashen cold
No harp is wrung, nor hammers rang
The Darkness dwells in Durin's Halls

A shadow lays upon his tomb
In Moria, in Khazad-dum
But still the sunken stars appear
In dark and windless Mirrormere
There lays his cown in water deep
'Till Durin wakes again from sleep

One of the few things of poetry I've ever memorized (I think the 'hammers' part is off though, but I don't have my book with me ><).

Also, the bit he wrote about Gollum on the Winding Stair is another one of my favorites, it gives you a startlingly sympathetic view of poor Smeagol.

[Moltar666]

I have always enjoyed the barrow-wights song, when the hobbits are captured.


Cold be hand and heart and bone,
and cold be sleep under stone:
never more to wake on stony bed,
never, till the Sun fails and the Moon is dead.
In the black wind the stars shall die,
and still on gold here let them lie,
till the dark lord lifts his hand
over dead sea and withered land.

[bethanna]

Ive only read up to the part in FotR where Frodo just recovers from the wound by the dark rider and eats at Elrond's but so far I have a lot of favorite parts but I really liked the quote by Gandalf about pity.

"Pity? It was Pity that stayed his hand. Pity, and Mercy: not to strike without need. And he has been well rewarded, Frodo. Be sure that he took so little hurt from the evil, and escaped in the end, because he began his ownership of the Ring so. With Pity."

And even though each part seems to just get better than the last even though that seems like it won't because it was so good but so far my favorite part was the flight to the ford when Glorfindel shined and then the dark riders got flooded. I liked that scene so much better than the movie.

[lafeeverte]

My apologies if these have already been mentioned by anyone; I've only been able to browse this (awesome) thread.

From "The Voyage of Eärendil" in The Silmarillion: Eärendil has at long last come to Valinor and is walking around the apparently deserted city of Tirion, calling out, but nobody is there to answer. He turns back to re-board his ship, when Eönwë, herald of Manwë appears and calls to him, saying:

Hail Eärendil, of mariners most renowned, the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope! Hail Eärendil, bearer of light before the Sun and Moon! Splendour of the Children of Earth, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!'

I also really like this passage from "The Breaking of the Fellowship", when Frodo, wearing the Ring, sits upon the seat of seeing on Amon Hen and looks about the world. It's a very long passage that builds up really dramatically to the end. I'll just quote the last bit:

But against Minas Tirith was set another fortress, greater and more strong. Thither, eastward, unwilling his eye was drawn. It passed the ruined bridges of Osgiliath, the grinning gates of Minas Morgul, and the haunted Mountains, and it looked upon Gorgoroth, the valley of terror in the Land of Mordor. Darkness lay there under the Sun. Fire glowed amid the smoke. Mount Doom was burning, and great reek rising. Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him.

Rob Inglis gives this passage a spine-tinglingly good reading in the Lord of the Rings audiobook.

[KonstantinPalailogos]

We help as we can. Wild-Men have long ears and long eyes; know all paths. Wild-Men live here before Stone-houses; before Tall Men come up out of Water.

But it is not your own Shire. Others dwelt here before hobbits were; and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more.

These ones are some of my favorites as well.

[knowfere]

Since all of Tolkiens writings are my favourites, I could only open a book and pick something

There was a long silence. At last Frodo spoke with hesitation. "I believed that you were a friend before the letter came," he said, "or at least I wished to. You have frightened me several times tonight, but never in the way that servants of the Enemy would, or so I imagine. I think one of his spies would - well, seem fairer and feel fouler, if you understand."

FoTR "Strider" pg 168
of the hobbits first meeting Strider at the Prancing Pony

"And that's the end of that," said Sam. "A nasty end, and I wish I needn't have seen it; but it's a good riddance." "And the very last end of the War, I hope," said Merry. "I hope so," said Frodo and sighed, "The very last stroke. But to think that is should fall here, at the very door of Bag End! Among all my hopes and fears at least I never expected that."

FoTR "The Scouring of the Shire" pg 997
of the 'real' death of Saruman

[Mearra]

At length Gandalf spoke. 'Hail, Théoden son of Thengel! I have returned. For behold! the storm comes, and now all friends should gather together, lest each singly be destroyed.'

Slowly the old man rose to his feet, leaning heavily upon a short black staff with a handle of white bone....

'I greet you,' he said, 'and maybe you look for welcome. But truth to tell your welcome is doubtful here, Master Gandalf. You have ever been a herald of woe.... I will not deceive you: when I heard that Shadowfax had come back riderless, I rejoiced at the return of the horse, but still more at the lack of the rider; and when Éomer brought the tidings that you had gone at last to your long home, I did not mourn. But news from afar is seldom sooth. Here you come again! And with you come evils worse than before, as might be expected. Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow? Tell me that.' Slowly he sat down again in his chair.

'You speak justly, lord,' said the pale man sitting upon the steps of the dais. 'It is not yet five days since the bitter tidings came that Théodred your son was slain upon the West Marches.... In Éomer there is little trust. Few men would be left to guard your walls, if he had been allowed to rule. And even now we learn from Gondor that the Dark Lord is stirring in the East. Such is the hour in which this wanderer chooses to return. Why indeed should we welcome you, Master Stormcrow?'...

'You are held wise, my friend Wormtongue...,' answered Gandalf in a soft voice. 'Yet in two ways may a man come with evil tidings. He may be a worker of evil; or he may be such as leaves well alone, and comes only to bring aid in time of need.'

'That is so,' said Wormtongue; 'but there is a third kind: pickers of bones..., carrion-fowl that grow fat on war. What aid have you ever brought, Stormcrow? And what aid do you bring now? It was aid from us that you sought last time that you were here. Then my lord bade you choose any horse that you would and be gone; and to the wonder of all you took Shadowfax in your insolence. My lord was sorely grieved; yet to some it seemed that to speed you from the land the price was not too great. I guess that it is likely to turn out the same once more: you will seek aid rather than render it. Do you bring men? Do you bring horses, swords, spears? That I would call aid; that is our present need. But who are these that follow at your tail? Three ragged wanderers in grey, and you yourself the most beggar-like of the four!'

'The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened of late, Théoden son of Thengel,' said Gandalf. 'Has not the messenger from your gate reported the names of my companions? Seldom has any lord of Rohan received three such guests. Weapons they have laid at your doors that are worth many a mortal man, even the mightiest.

"Suddenly Gandalf changed. Casting his tattered cloak aside, he stood up and leaned no longer on his staff; and he spoke in a clear cold voice. 'The wise speak only of what they know, Gríma son of Gálmód. A witless worm have you become. Therefore be silent, and keep your forked tongue behind your teeth. I have not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a serving-man till the lightning falls.' He raised his staff. There was a roll of thunder. The sunlight was blotted out from the eastern windows; the whole hall became suddenly dark as night.... Only Gandalf could be seen, standing white and tall before the blackened hearth.

In the gloom they heard the hiss of Wormtongue's voice: 'Did I not counsel you, lord, to forbid his staff? That fool, Háma, has betrayed us!' There was a flash as if lightning had cloven the roof.... Wormtongue sprawled on his face."

The Two Towers, LoTR Book 3, Ch 7, Helm's Deep

I can still hear my brother's voice reading this passage to me, been a Tolkien geek ever since Way better than the way it went down in the movie.

[Torberhuin]

My favourite quote comes from the Council of Elrond, when Elrond comments on Frodo's volunteering to take the One Ring to Mordor:

"Yet such is oft the course of deeds that move the wheels of the world: small hands do them because they must, while the eyes of the great are elsewhere."