"The Roads Go Ever On" by JRR Tolkien, A Poem for Motivation and Mental Health
Updated: 7 days ago
As World Mental Health Day approaches, we asked our community a question: what writing, specifically poetry, has carried you through hard times, or pushed you forward when you needed it?
Some of our best conversations about mental health have happened during recent late night ruck sessions, in the dark and close to midnight. Strip away the distractions, leaving the weight on your back, with hours with nothing to do but walk and what's left is the real stuff: purpose, pain and pushing past the things we're each quietly working through. And sometimes, when we're solo and the self-talk starts, a few lines of a song or a poem is what carries you through.
Tolkien conceived the initial version of "The Road Goes Ever On"for the final chapter of The Hobbit, published in 1937, before weaving evolving variations of it throughout The Lord of the Rings in 1954. The poem (in the book, a song) serves as a metaphor for the inevitable journey of life, capturing the bittersweet reality of leaving the comfort of home to embrace change, growth and the grand unpredictable adventures that lie ahead
Roads go ever ever on,
Over rock and under tree,
By caves where never sun has shone,
By streams that never find the sea;
Over snow by winter sown,
And through the merry flowers of June,
Over grass and over stone
And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.
Final Thoughts
Poetry can give words to feelings that are sometimes difficult to express directly. Reading a poem, or writing one ourselves, can help us pause, reflect and make sense of experiences that might otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming. It can create a little space between what we feel and how we respond.
Is there a piece of literature or poetry that has affected, supported or inspired you?
See the complete selection of poems below:
Poetry isn't a substitute for professional support when we need it, but it can be a simple and accessible tool for reflection and emotional wellbeing. Sometimes, a few carefully chosen words can help us see our own experience from a different perspective. Mental health is also be supported by adopting simple daily practices, to build the foundations of health.
And if you are an active or ex-service member in Singapore, consider joining Sandbag Asia, a registered society and support network for those in - or now out - of uniform.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
Related Studies and Resources
Kassab A, Jayatunge R, Bou Khalil R. The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2026 Feb;356:116897. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116897. Epub 2025 Dec 11. PMID: 41411711.
Johnson-Laird PN, Oatley K. How poetry evokes emotions. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2022 Apr;224:103506. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103506. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 35101737.
Tracy, D. (2021). Veterans’ self-expression in poetry. Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health, 7(1), 108–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jmvfh-2020-0005
Help for Heroes
WHO: World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2026, "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change"
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