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Friday, March 14, 2025

Poem of the Day - Part 66

 All That is Gold Does Not Glitter
by J.R.R. Tolkien

This poem appears in The Fellowship of the Ring, the first volume of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.  Frodo is reading a letter from Gandalf that includes the poem as a guide to help determine the authenticity of Strider (Aragorn).  Later, when Frodo meets Aragorn, Aragorn quotes part of the poem.

"Did the verses apply to you then?" asked Frodo. "I could not make out what they were about. But how did you know that they were in Gandalf’s letter, if you have never seen it?"

"I did not know," he answered. "But I am Aragorn, and those verses go with that name."

All that is gold does not glitter

(Above, Goldmember at the 2016 World Naked Bike Ride in London)

Not all those who wander are lost;

(Der Wanderer by Koloman Moser, c. 1914)

The old that is strong does not wither,

(Bodybuilder Jim Morris at age 73)

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

(Body under roots, Fire Island, NY by Arthur Tress, 1977)

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

(Lightbulb in ass trick)

Renewed shall be blade that was broken,

The crownless again shall be king.

2 comments:

whkattk said...

Love that --- I've read the entire series of books so many times overt he years.... This only makes me want to read them again.

SickoRicko said...

Clever.