Journey’s End ~ A Poem by J. R. R. Tolkien

Journey’s End: Tolkien’s Vision of Hope Beyond Darkness

Even at life’s edge, Tolkien reminds us that light and stars endure, and endings hold the seed of new beginnings.

Journey’s End

J. R. R. Tolkien

In western lands beneath the Sun
The flowers may rise in Spring,
The trees may bud, the waters run,
The merry finches sing.
Or there maybe ’tis cloudless night,
And swaying branches bear
The Elven-stars as jewels white
Amid their branching hair.

Though here at journey’s end I lie
In darkness buried deep,
Beyond all towers strong and high,
Beyond all mountains steep,
Above all shadows rides the Sun
And Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
Nor bid the Stars farewell.

Source

🌟 Reflection

Tolkien’s Journey’s End speaks to the soul when shadows seem final. The poem recognizes the inevitability of weariness, endings, and the deep silence that life’s darkest valleys bring. Yet, it refuses despair. Even when the speaker lies “in darkness buried deep,” he asserts that the Sun and Stars continue beyond his reach—symbols of hope, continuity, and eternal beauty. The poem insists that the end of one journey is not the end of light. We are reminded that while human strength falters, creation itself bears witness to something greater and more enduring. This reflection invites us to lift our gaze from the heaviness of endings toward the eternal constellations of meaning. Hope is not extinguished; it rides above every shadow.

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❓ Three Questions for Reflection

1. What do the Sun and Stars symbolize for you in times of struggle or endings?
2. How does Tolkien’s refusal to “bid the Stars farewell” challenge the way we view death or loss?
3. In what ways can we carry hope even when we feel “buried deep” in our own journeys?