Bilbo Baggins wrote the poem beginning “Not all those who wander are lost” in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The lines appear in “The Council of Elrond” in The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo explains that the verse comes from a longer poem about Aragorn, and Aragorn’s identity is gradually revealed through the chapter’s discussion.
The poem describes a person whose travels and hidden purpose are misunderstood by others. Its famous opening is often quoted independently, but in the novel it is part of a portrait of Aragorn and his wandering life before claiming his royal heritage.
Readers sometimes attribute the words directly to Aragorn because they describe him so closely. Tolkien’s text, however, identifies Bilbo as the author. Bilbo is presented as a poet and scholar in addition to being the former burglar of The Hobbit.