Examples Of Figurative Language In The Hobbit

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien is a magnificent menagerie of nearly every form of figurative language and continues to impress the millions who discover his work. The Hobbit is one of the greatest epitomes of sophisticated yet riveting work brought to life by utilizing similes, metaphors, imagery, and symbolism in the book. In each of his illustrious works, Tolkien bestows a particular personality and The Hobbit, especially, is no exception.

“A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities,” by J.R.R. Tolkien. Tolkien made these words come alive not only in his own life, but in his works. The similes that he created added depth to his words like, “It had a perfectly round door like a porthole” (1). This simple simile immerses the reader

The sights described in The Hobbit, or any of his other books for that matter, are the legends of imagery. The painstakingly detailed scenery of mountains, lakes, fields, skies, all add mystery and awe to the story. The audience believes they have probed the ultimate world of fantasy, where volcanoes litter the horizon and goblins run amok. One example of such imagery is, “In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort” (1). This example sheds light on the occupant of the burrow, which is obviously not a monster. The description the comfortable hobbit-hole implies that the owner is a person not accustomed to hardship and one that is not repulsive. In addition Tolkien also utilized enhanced imagery to reciprocate the feelings of dread or victory. Another example (my favorite), “He charged the ranks of the goblins of Mount Gram in the Battle of the Green Fields, and knocked their king Golfimbul's head clean off with a wooden club. It sailed a hundred yards through the air and went down a rabbit-hole, and in this way the battle was won and the game of Golf invented at the same moment” (18). The preceding quote describes the triumphant victory over the goblin army thanks to one of Bilbo’s