"The realm of fairy-story is wide and deep and high and filled with many things: all manner of beasts and birds are found there; shoreless seas and stars uncounted; beauty that is an enchantment, and an ever-present peril; both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords. In that realm a man may, perhaps, count himself fortunate to have wandered, but its very richness and strangeness tie the tongue of a traveller who would report them. And while he is there it is dangerous for him to ask too many questions, lest the gates should be shut and the keys be lost."
This passage comes near the very beginning of the essay, where Tolkien is still laying out the reasoning behind his exploration of these topics. This beautiful description is of Faërie, the land of the Imagination which lies beyond reason and explanation, but which is vital for creating an effective fairy-story. There is much to be feared in the perilous land of Faërie, but even more to rejoice over, appreciate, and admire, and this quote is a remarkably profound representation of Tolkien's view of the 'Perilous Realm.'
"Faërie cannot be caught in a net of words; for it is one of its qualities to be indescribable, though not imperceptible."
This quote, coming during Tolkien's explanation of what he means by the term 'fairy-story,' is another description of Faërie, but one that explains why explanation is ultimately futile. He believes that Faërie is a sort of imaginative realm that includes everything in creation, but it also contains a sort of indescribable quality that is perceptible but defies explanation. Despite being as confusing a definition as any Tolkien could conceive, this is a beautifully obscure description of what appears to be a stunning yet indescribable phenomenon in the realm of the fairy-story.
"To make a Secondary World inside which the green sun will be credible, commanding Secondary Belief, will probably require labour and thought, and will certainly demand a special skill, a kind of elvish craft. Few attempt such difficult tasks. But when they are attempted and in any degree accomplished then we have a rare achievement of Art: indeed narrative art, story-making in its primary and most potent mode."
In this passage, part of his description of Fantasy, Tolkien is explaining why proper creation of Fantasy is so difficult and so rarely achieved. Not only does the writer have to create an internally consistent Secondary World that is notably distinct from the Primary World, but he also has to command Secondary Belief, presenting the world in such a compelling way that a green sun will seem credible, not ridiculous. It's true that such effective fantasy-writing demands a special skill, one almost laden with enchantment. Such a feat of creation is "indeed narrative art," an incredible achievement that takes the form of Fantastic creation.
