“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt,It lies behind stars and under hills,And empty holes it fills,It comes first and follows after,Ends life, kills laughter.”

J.R.R. Tolkien was an English philologist and writer of the early-to-mid 20th century. He crafted the sprawling fantasy world of Middle-earth, immortalized in *The Hobbit* and *The Lord of the Rings*. His work blends deep linguistic scholarship with rich mythic storytelling.