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J. R. R. Tolkien Quotes about War

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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

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.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Arrows, Towers
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Two Towers: Being the Second Part of The Lord of the Rings”, p.656, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

I have in this War a burning private grudge — which would probably make me a better soldier at 49 than I was at 22: against that ruddy little ignoramus Adolf Hitler (for the odd thing about demonic inspiration and impetus is that it in no way enhances the purely intellectual stature: it chiefly affects the mere will). Ruining, perverting, misapplying, and making for ever accursed, that noble northern spirit, a supreme contribution to Europe, which I have ever loved, and tried to present in its true light.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Inspiration, Light
Letter to his son Michael Tolkien on June 09, 1941. "The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien", 1981.

The news today about 'Atomic bombs' is so horrifying one is stunned. The utter folly of these lunatic physicists to consent to do such work for war-purposes: calmly plotting the destruction of the world! Such explosives in men's hands, while their moral and intellectual status is declining, is about as useful as giving out firearms to all inmates of a gaol and then saying that you hope 'this will ensure peace'. But one good thing may arise out of it, I suppose, if the write-ups are not overheated: Japan ought to cave in. Well we're in God's hands. But He does not look kindly on Babel-builders.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Writing, Men
Letter to his son Christopher Tolkien on August 09, 1945. "The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien", 1981.

The world is full enough of hurts and mischances without wars to multiply them.

J. R. R. Tolkien
Peace, Hurt, War
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings”, p.937, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

It needs but one foe to breed a war, and those who have not swords can still die upon them.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Needs, Foe
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Return of the King: Being the Third Part of the Lord of the Rings”, p.937, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

One has personally to come under the shadow of war to feel fully its oppression; but as the years go by it seems now often forgotten that to be caught in youth by 1914 was no less hideous an experience than to be involved in 1939 and the following years. By 1918 all but one of my close friends were dead.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Years, Shadow
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings”, p.13, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

He was tall as a young tree, lithe, immensely strong, able swiftly to draw a great war-bow and shoot down a Nazgûl, endowed with the tremendous vitality of Elvish bodies, so hard and resistant to hurt that he went only in light shoes over rock or through snow, the most tireless of all the Fellowship.

J. R. R. Tolkien
Strong, Hurt, War
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Book of Lost Tales, Part Two: Part Two”, p.329, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

The enemy? His sense of duty was no less than yours, I deem. You wonder what his name is, where he came from. And if he was really evil at heart. What lies or threats led him on this long march from home. If he would not rather have stayed there in peace. War will make corpses of us all.

J. R. R. Tolkien
Lying, War, Home
"Fictional character: Faramir". "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers", 2002.

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
War, Soldier, Superiors

The war made me poignantly aware of the beauty of the world.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, World, Christianity

The War is not over (and the one that is, or the part of it, has been largely lost). But it is of course wrong to fall into such a mood, for Wars are always lost, and War always goes on; and it is no good growing faint.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Fall, Goes On

It was just as the 1914 War burst on me that I made the discovery that 'legends' depend on the language to which they belong; but a living language depends equally on the 'legends' which it conveys by tradition. ... Volapuk, Esperanto, Ido, Novial, &c &c are dead, far deader than ancient unused languages, because their authors never invented any Esperanto legends.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Discovery, Esperanto
J.R.R. Tolkien (2014). “The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien”, p.231, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Dead men are not friends to living men, and give them no gifts. (Ghan-buri-Ghan, of allies during war)

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Men, Giving

I should say that, in addition to my tree-love (it was originally called The Tree), it arose from my own pre-occupation with the Lord of the Rings, the knowledge that it would be finished in great detail or not at all, and the fear (near certainty) that it would be 'not at all'. The war had arisen to darken all horizons. But no such analyses are a complete explanation even of a short story.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Tree, Details
Letter to Caroline Everett, June 24, 1957.

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.

J. R. R. Tolkien
Stars, War, Son
J. R. R. TOLKIEN “THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING”

And she looked at him and saw the grave tenderness in his eyes, and yet knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark could outmatch in battle.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Eye, Men
J.R.R. Tolkien (2012). “The Lord of the Rings: One Volume”, p.646, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Wars are not favourable to delicate pleasures.

J. R. R. Tolkien
War, Pleasure, Delicate
"A Secret Vice". Lecture in 1931. "The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays". Book edited by Christopher Tolkien, 1983.

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