well I think It is a matter of when Tolkien wrote his books. The Hobbit and the lost tales delve much more into fantasy than LOTR does when you think about LOTR besides eagles being huge and the fell creatures and the ring the book is basicly realistic while the hobbit is much less serious and more focused on fantasy dragons and d talking birds( yes I remember Gwaihir but Gandalf is a maiar therefore has the power to talk with natural beasts perhaps if gwaihir apporached the hobbits they wouldn't understand him.) so the first few ages are much more fantasy than LOTR. Also maybe the sword didn't talk the weilder just enjoyed his pipeweed a tad too much
