Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien -

Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien

Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien

 

J R R Tolkien (1892 – 1973) English author, philologist and poet. Tolkien was most well-known for his creations of fantasy of Middle-Earth and his writing of The Hobbit, and the epic trilogy of ‘ The Lord of the Rings’. The Lord of the Rings made him one of the top bestsellers of the Twentieth Century and spawned the genre of fantasy that was born.

 

The early life of J.R.R. Tolkien

 

J.R.R. Tolkien was born 1892 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. After spending three months living in South Africa, he returned to England with his mother Mabel However his father passed away one year after that leaving him with no memories of his father. The early years of his life were from all accounts pleasant; he was raised with his family in his home in the Warwickshire countryside (many think of this idyllic upbringing as the inspiration of The Shire character in Lord of the Rings).

In 1904 the year 1904 at the age of John was just 12 years old, his mother Mabel passed away from diabetes, leaving an indelible mark on John as well as his brother. Following the death of his mother, John was raised by one of the family’s Catholic priests, Father Francis Morgen. In early childhood, J.R.R. Tolkien was a brilliant scholar with a particular passion for languages. He loved studying languages, especially Greek, Anglo-Saxon, and then in Oxford, Finnish.

While a student at King Edward VI school, He was not able to secure an award to Tolkien Oxford. It was also because of his love affair with his childhood love Edith. When he learned of this love affair, his guardian, Father Francis Morgan, prohibited John from having a relationship with Edith until he turned 21, and was no longer under his supervision. Father Morgen made John promise not to meet Edith as a result, and John reluctantly accepted his request. John diligently kept his promise till his birthday and on that day the writer reconnected with Edith and was able to convince Edith to marry him. It’s an indication of his faith in the faithfulness of God and sincerity that he was willing to wait for several years before he could meet his bride and such noble sentiments are often found in his writings. For instance, the stunning love story of Beren Luthien and Luthien’ ( The Silmarillion 1977).

Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien

 

Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien

 

J.R.R.Tolkien in Oxford

Tolkien From an academic perspective it seems that his separation from Edith appeared to do the trick. A year later, he received an award from Exeter College, Oxford where the focus was on classical literature. John was not particularly successful in the field, but he began to appreciate the perks of life at university however, his sluggish income was difficult in keeping up with the extravagant spending habits of students with more money. Not enthralled by classical literature, John found it easy to move to his passion for English literature. John was a scholarly genius, however, a large portion part of it was studying different languages within the Bodleian library.

 

It was in Oxford where he fell in love with Finnish the language that will be the foundation for Quenya which would later be given to the Elves. The love for languages remained with Tolkien for the rest of his time. particularly, he started making his language, an amazing project. Indeed, Tolkien said that languages were amid all his Middle Earth creations. Tolkien claimed that the stories were created as a way to utilize various languages. The people who read the book might not believe this however, it is a good illustration of the importance he placed on the usage of the language.

 

J.R.R.Tolkien along with The First World War

Amid the First World War, J.R.R. Tolkien determined to finish his studies before enlisting in 1916. After joining with the Lancashire Fusiliers, he made his way across the Western Front just before the epic Somme offensive. From the first moment, J.R.R. Tolkien experienced the devastation and horrors that accompanied his time in the “Great War” He also lost numerous close friends. In one of his memoirs, that “By 1918, all except one of my closest friends had passed away”. J.R.R. Tolkien was able to survive, mostly because of the constant recurrence of trench fever that led to his being invalided back to England. The author did not discuss his experiences, but the massive terribleness of war is certain to influence his writing at least in some manner. Perhaps the imagery of the slums of Mordor could have taken beginning in the grim and muddy conditions that characterized the Western Front.

It was in England in the year 1917 when J.R.R Tolkien started working on his epic work – ” The Silmarillion”. The Silmarillion is the foundation of Tolkien’s mythology and it was a book that he constantly revised until he died in 1973. It is a work that Silmarillion is a difficult read because it is not plot-driven, it traces the development of the universe through an almost biblical view. It covers everything from the Creation of the Universe to the introduction of evil, and the revolt of Noldor. It is from The Silmarillion where many of the origins of The Lord of the Rings stem. It provides the Lord of the Rings with the appearance of an epic. It’s not just a tale, but the story of an entire globe and people.

Biography Of J.R.R Tolkien

 

The writing of the Hobbit
In the beginning, J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings on The Silmarillion were known to only a few. He was caught up in teaching and other responsibilities as a professor. He also managed to write significant papers on medieval literature. They included seminal work on Sir Gawain along with The Green Knight and Beowulf. The year 1945 saw him receive the Merton professorship and was given additional tasks of lecturing and teaching.

The Hobbit

In the year 1930, when Tolkien discovered an unplanned idea to write The Hobbit. While marking an exam paper he wrote in the margins of the paper the words that would become immortal “In one of the holes in the earth was the hobbit.” Contrary to The Silmarillion, The Hobbit was a straightforward story of adventure and fairy tales for kids. Invoking evil, it does have an ending that is happy for everyone and is focused on the victory of good over evil. Through the next few years, many friends such as C.S. Lewis were able to read the manuscript and gave positive reviews. Then, over time the publishers Allen and Unwin were sent an unpublished copy. Rayner Ten-year-old Rayner of Mr. Unwin provided an excellent review and the Hobbit was released in 1937, a huge commercial success.

 

J.R.R. Tolkien as well as C.S. Lewis

J.R.R. Tolkien was a close friend of C.S. Lewis and they were both key members of the “Inklings,”, an informal Oxford literary group, which met to read poems or short pieces. Tolkien was an avid Catholic belief throughout his life. He often talked about the religion of his fellow writer C.S. Lewis. Lewis later claimed that his discussions with Tolkien were the main element in his decision to convert to Christianity. Their relationship did, however, deteriorate as time went on. There was a bit of disagreement about C.S. Lewis’s relationship and Joy Davidson, but they remain close friends as well. C.S. Lewis had always been a strong literary advocate for Tolkien’s works. (Though Tolkien was somewhat less than enthusiastic about C.S. Lewis’s work. C.S.Lewis.)

 

Lord of the Rings
lord-of-rings Because of the popularity of The Hobbit, Allen, and Unwin encouraged J.R.R. Tolkien to write a sequel. So, over some time, J.R.R. Tolkien began writing the Lord of the Rings. Then it changed to The Hobbit Both in dimensions and scope. Incorporating its roots in the character and the history of The Silmarillion It became an epic of unimaginable dimensions. It was no longer Tolkien creating a straightforward adventure novel and in The Lord of the Rings, the victory of good over evil is not ever as clear. Despite the success of the mission, however, there’s no clear happy end. There is a sense of constant change. Nothing can be left the way it is. Alongside being a captivating story The book explores various issues related to how people react to certain decisions and the power of ego and power. The book can be read in various ways, however, it has a spiritual and moral dimension which is the basis for the story’s development.

Due to the enormous size and the size of the book the book’s publishers, Allen and Unwin were wary of publishing. They were worried about whether it was a commercial success. In the end, they chose to release the novel however, they divided it into six sections. They did not offer any payment to J.R.R Tolkien until the book was in profit. The first edition of the book was released in 1954 and quickly became a popular seller. However, it wasn’t until 1965, after the book came out in America that it became an internationally acclaimed bestseller. The book somehow managed to capture the spirit that was prevalent in the counterculture of the 1960s and became a huge hit among American campuses. Tolkien became known as a household name. The Lord of the Rings was to quickly be regarded as the most-read book ever.

Although the novel has received the greatest amount of popular praise, however, it hasn’t been able to receive the same praise from the world of literature. The year 1972 was the time that Oxford University conferred on Tolkien the honorary title that was Doctor of Letters. It was not awarded due to his writing, however, it was for his work on the study of linguistics. Tolkien is, however, likely to not have been offended by this honor. For Tolkien, his studies in linguistics were as significant, the same way as his writings in the fictional genre.

He didn’t particularly like the fame and recognition that came from his writing success and, in 1968, He relocated to Poole to enjoy a bit more privacy. When he spoke of his personal preferences, he spoke of his similarities to hobbits.

“I am an actual Hobbit (in the sense of size, but not in). I am a fan of trees, gardens, and unmechanized farms I also smoke a pipe and enjoy good, simple food (unrefrigerated) and hate French cooking. I also like and sometimes wear, on these cold days, waistcoats with ornaments. I love mushrooms (out in an open field) I have a basic sense of humor (which even my most awed critics find boring) I like to sleep late and rise late (when it is possible). I don’t travel much.”

A letter for Deborah Webster (25 October 1958)

Tolkien, His wife Edith died in the year 1971. In 1971, J.R.R. Tolkien died a few decades later, in the year 1973. Following his passing, his works were gaining popularity and increased sales. Before the release of The Lord of the Rings films, the book “Lord of the Rings” was frequently regarded as one of the most loved ever. The son of his father, Christopher Tolkien, carefully read through his entire manuscripts and then published after his death several stories of Middle-Earth, including numerous early versions of stories and histories.

 

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