Bilbo Baggins says “Not all those who wander are lost” in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
The line appears in the poem “The Riddle of Strider,” which is found in The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo receives the poem from Bilbo, who composed it about Aragorn. Its wording describes Aragorn’s hidden identity and purposeful travels, contrasting his wandering appearance with the strength and destiny beneath it.
The quotation is often attributed to Aragorn because the poem concerns him, but Bilbo is identified as its author. The complete poem includes several other images, such as a crown, a broken blade, and a renewed light. The line became one of Tolkien’s most widely quoted passages and is frequently used independently of its original context. Its popularity has also led to shortened or altered versions appearing in modern quotations and decorative writing.