"All That is Gold"
J.R.R. Tolkien
All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.
I would be woefully amiss if I did not mention that I count Tolkien among the best of my favorite poets. His poetry does something to me. Strikes chords of passion and emotion I didn't know were there, bids me go a'gypsing, and generally makes me sigh with an echo shaking my heart that says, "This is genius, this is beauty, this is gold." And in these moments I can't even think "I wish I could write like that" because in the face of such gold, there's no room for anything but quiet wonder.
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3 comments:
I completely agree with you Rachel!!
I love the poem in LOTR "I sit by the Fire and Think". :)
You have perfectly describe what it is that I feel every time I come upon one in his books.
No matter how many times I read 'The Road Goes Ever On' it always it ignites a feeling of yearning that it not wholly comfortable.
But, yes, also about the writing: I'm afraid that reading J.R.R. Tolkien has raised the standards I have for myself to heights I'm sure I'll never reach. Ah well, better to shoot for what is the best then to settle for what is not, to sound a tad cliche.
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