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Tolkien: Peril, sorrow, and the shadow of death can bestow dignity and sometimes wisdom

29 April 2021

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It is one of the lessons of fairy-stories (if we can speak of the lessons of things that do not lecture) that on callow, lumpish, and selfish youth peril, sorrow, and the shadow of death can bestow dignity, and even sometimes wisdom.

–J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), from lecture On Fairy Stories

 

Photo of a young Afghan refugee by Franz, fsHH on Pixabay

Posted at 03:45 in British, English and Scottish, Life, Wisdom, On Troubles and Illness | | Comments (0)

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