Letter to his publisher (31 July 1947); published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1981), Letter 109
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You can make the Ring an allegory of our own time, if you like: an allegory of the inevitable fate that awaits all attempts to defeat evil power by power. But that is only because all power magical or mechanical does always so work.
— J. R. R. Tolkien
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "You can make the Ring an allegory of our own time, if you like: an allegory of the inevitable fate that awaits all attempts to defeat evil power by power. But that is only because all power magical or mechanical does always so work." in the context of "Letter to his publisher (31 July 1947); published in The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (1981), Letter 109" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "J. R. R. Tolkien" (Quotes, 1940s)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3 1892 – September 2 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, most famous for his classic high fantasy works.
About J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (January 3 1892 – September 2 1973) was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, most famous for his classic high fantasy works.
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