summative analysis of the bells

Poe's Poetry

By edgar allan poe, poe's poetry summary and analysis of "the bells".

The silver bells of the sleds are merry and keep time in the winter nights while the sky twinkles happily. The golden bells of weddings are delightful in their peaceful happiness, foretelling a rapturous future. Meanwhile, the brazen alarm bells scream frightfully in the night, with a discordant and desperate sound. In their clamor, these bells convey terror, horror, and anger. Finally, the iron bells are solemn and melancholy, while those in the church steeple are like ghouls who feel happiness. The king of the ghouls, who rings the bells, cheerfully keeps time with the moaning and groaning bells.

In the simplest analysis, each stanza of "The Bells" deals with a particular type of bell and seeks to establish a specific mood. Poe associates the silver sledge bells with merriment and excitement, while the golden wedding bells are a celebration and a promise of joy. Then, with the next two sections come some far more ominous emotions, as the "brazen" alarm bells create an atmosphere of horror, and the iron bells toll to announce the coming of death. Silver and gold are the more valuable metals, and consequently Poe associates them with the happier stanzas. The presence of these four distinct scenarios make "The Bells" somewhat different from Poe's typical writing, which often seeks to establish a single mood in accordance with his aesthetic theories of unity, which he developed in a number of his essays on art and writing.

The seemingly disparate elements of "The Bells" may come together as a simple succession of emotional states that descend into darkness, but we can also usefully view it as an allegory for the progression of human existence, particularly in the areas of love and death. Much of Poe's oeuvre deals with these two subjects, and beauty and love often become complete in death, as in his short story "Ligeia" or in his poem " Annabel Lee ." In "The Bells," the first stanza suggests courtship, while the second speaks explicitly of marriage. The third section then darkens the mood, suggesting an inevitable descent into terror and despair, and finally, the poem and the human lifetime end in the iron bells of death.

Poe's suggestions about humanity are not sanguine, and the stanzas emphasize the dark nature of the message by lengthening as they approach death. Even the courtship and marriage seem to take place at night, and the "world of merriment" and "world of happiness" foretold by the first two sets of bells prove to be ironic. While these bells speak of a bright future, the next two speak only of the terrible present, and in the end, the only happy person is the king of the ghouls, who dances while he delights in death and in the sorrow projected by the bells. The repetition of the "Runic" and hence mysterious rhyme that maintains the poem's beat suggests that the bells also symbolize the unavoidable progression of time that leads to the end of human life.

The repetition throughout "The Bells" and the association of rhythm with time creates a distinct musicality to the poem's sound. Most lines in the poem consist of a variable number of trochees, where each trochee is a stressed-unstressed two-syllable pattern, although in many cases the last foot is truncated to end on a stressed syllable. The semi-regular rhythm created by the poem's meter gives the poem a song-like quality, as does the frequent repetition of words such as "bells" and "time," which often imitate the regular chiming of a bell. The repetition of the general structure at the beginning and end of each section also add to the unity of the poem. To add to the musical imagery, Poe also uses end rhyme such as "Keeping time, time, time,/ In a sort of Runic rhyme" and internal rhyme such as "the moaning and the groaning of the bells," as well as frequent alliteration such as "melancholy menace" and "What a tale of terror now their turbulence tells!"

A key element of Poe's emulation of music comes from his frequent use of onomatopoeia, or words that imitate their meaning. For example, the tinkling of the silver bells suggests a lighthearted, carefree tone, but later bells "clang, and clash, and roar" or "throb" and "groan," thus indicating an entirely different atmosphere. Poe may have intended for this poem to be read aloud, so that the vivid sounds of his words become integral to the overall effect. Because of the clear aural emphasis of "The Bells," some literary critics have considered it to focus too much on style and not enough on meaning, but Poe's work certainly succeeds in projecting a sense of verbal power in its words.

Poe’s Poetry Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Poe’s Poetry is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

1. In the context of this poem, can we control our fate? What does the narrator in the poem think about his fate and life in general? Is this a valid perspective? Cite evidence from this text, your own experience, and other literature, art, or history in

Poem title, please?

What is the narrator doing?

The unnamed narrator is wearily perusing an old book one bleak December night when he hears a tapping at the door to his room.

in line 4, science is seen as a vulture because ....... A) it hunts diana in the skies B) it preys on the Hamadryad C) it preys on the poet's creative imagination D) it hunts down scientific facts

C) it preys on the poet's creative imagination

Study Guide for Poe’s Poetry

Poe's Poetry study guide contains a biography of Edgar Poe, literature essays, a complete e-text, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Poe's Poetry
• Poe's Poetry Summary
• The Raven Video
• Character List

Essays for Poe’s Poetry

Poe's Poetry essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Poe's Poetry by Edgar Allan Poe.

• The Role of Confession in Poe's Poetry
• Two Poets, One Poetic Vision: The Edgar Allan Poe/Thomas Hardy Alliance
• Poe's Pointers for Perfection
• Death and Creation in Poe's "Ligeia"
• Lost in a Dream

Lesson Plan for Poe’s Poetry

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Poe's Poetry
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Poe's Poetry Bibliography

E-Text of Poe’s Poetry

Poe's Poetry e-text contains the full texts of select works of Poe's Poetry.

• Table of Contents
• Poems of Later Life: The Raven
• Poems of Later Life: The Bells

Wikipedia Entries for Poe’s Poetry

• Introduction
• An Acrostic (1829)
• Al Aaraaf (1829)
• Alone (1829)
• Annabel Lee (1849)

• Science & Math
• Sociology & Philosophy
• Law & Politics

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Bells: Summary & Analysis

• Edgar Allan Poe’s The Bells:…

“The Bells” is one of Poe’s famous poems, in which Poe tries to make the bells sound real. He tries to make the sounds by using words instead of sound, which is really annoying when you read it because he repeats things so often in the poem. He uses words like shrieking and twinkling.

In every stanza he talks about different bells, and what noises they make, and for what occasion they are for. In the first stanza, he talks about sleigh bells and Christmas bells. In this poem he uses the words tinkling and jingling to represent the bells. When he uses these words, it sets a happy and jolly type of mood for the reader. It starts the poem out in a warm and happy manner.

The second stanza has wedding bells in it. These bells also bring about feelings of happiness, but in a different way. Although they have the same meaning of joy they clearly have different sounds. He also describes how they bring a sense of joy, and somewhat of a fortune, for the future.

In stanza three there are sounds and descriptions of alarm bells. He uses the words clanging, clashing, and roaring to give a sense of alarm. He describes how the bells clamor and clangor out of tune in order to send the message of alarm to those around it. In the fourth stanza, there are bells that are rung for the diseased. He says that the noises they make are mainly moans, and groans, from their rusty iron throats.

This gives the feeling of sadness and sorrow. He also makes it seem like the bells are alive, and they want to be rung making more people dead. Which means that they are glad when death comes around. I think that Poe repeated everything so that people get a sense of what really is happening. But I think when he says things over, and over like the word Bells, it starts to get boring and annoying to me.

Poe probably wrote about these different bells for all the moods he has had in his life.  This poem was hard to understand but good. The words he used were pretty good. His choice of words went well with his poem.

Related Posts

• Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell Tale Heart: Summary & Analysis
• The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: Theme and Analysis
• Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat: Summary & Analysis
• Edgar Allen Poe’s "The Pit and the Pendulum": Summary & Analysis
• Edgar Allan Poe’s The Mask of the Red Death: Summary & Analysis

Author:  William Anderson (Schoolworkhelper Editorial Team)

Tutor and Freelance Writer. Science Teacher and Lover of Essays. Article last reviewed: 2022 | St. Rosemary Institution © 2010-2024 | Creative Commons 4.0

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Post comment

by Edgar Allan Poe

I. Hear the sledges with the bells— Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night ! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme , To the tintinabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells— From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells. II. Hear the mellow wedding bells, Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells— To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells! III. Hear the loud alarum bells— Brazen bells! What tale of terror, now , their turbulency tells! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak, They can only shriek, shriek, Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire, Leaping higher, higher, higher, With a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavor Now—now to sit or never, By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells Of Despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar! What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air! Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging, And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows; Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling, And the wrangling. How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells— Of the bells— Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells— In the clamor and the clangor of the bells! IV. Hear the tolling of the bells— Iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone ! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people—ah, the people— They that dwell up in the steeple, All alone , And who tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone— They are neither man nor woman— They are neither brute nor human— They are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A pæan from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the pæan of the bells! And he dances, and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the pæan of the bells— Of the bells: Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells— Of the bells, bells, bells— To the sobbing of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells— Of the bells, bells, bells— To the tolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells— Bells, bells, bells— To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

Summary of The Bells

• Popularity of “The Bells”: Written by Edgar Alan Poe, a great American poet and writer, “The Bells” is a metaphorical, poetic piece. It appeared in a periodical, Sarrain’s Union , in 1849. In this poem , the writer represents different stages of life. He beautifully connects the bell, a simple unnoticed object , and its melody to the life cycle. However, how Poe joins different chimes to life has made this poem popular across the globe.
• “The Bells” As a Representative of Wonder: This sad poem features various sounds of different bells and the events they stand for. The poem begins with the description of silver bells whose chime brings delight to ears. The tinkling of silver bells spreads happiness not only on the earth but also at night in the sky, where stars seem to sway. In the second part, the speaker progresses toward the golden wedding bells, producing a melodic sound that even the turtle dove wants to listen to. The speaker brilliantly accounts for the happiness that the ringing of the golden bells spreads. The tone of the poem changes in the third stanza , where the speaker talks about the brazen bells. The bells are ringing quickly and turbulently, screaming out their fright. Their constant ringing pours out horror into the air. Last comes the ringing of the iron bells. Although they are not ringing rigorously, the nature of loss, fear, and melancholy have not changed. Everyone, who hears, knows that their ringing reflects sorrow and fear. The speaker ends this poem while talking about the people who ring these bells and take pleasure while making breath-taking announcements.
• Major Themes in “The Bells”: Happiness, life, death, and agony are the poem’s major themes. It is a musical work that showcases the mimicry of many sounds of bells. The changing chimes of the bells in four stanzas mark the cycle of our life. The writer has artistically connected these different bells to our life. For instance, the silver bells announce humankind’s birth, spreading happiness to the earth. The golden bell shows further positive progression in man’s life when he embraces love and joy in the form of marriage. However, slowly time drags him to experience the ringing of iron bells. The first two bells predict a bright future, while the next two speak of the terrible present. In the end, the only happy persons are the kings of the ghouls who seek pleasure in the sorrow.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in The Bells

Edgar Allan Poe used many literary devices in this poem to relate the chimes of the bells to human life. The analysis of the devices used in the poem is as follows.

• Assonance : Assonance is the repetition of vowel sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /e/ in “They are neither brute nor human” and the sound of /o/ in “And who tolling, tolling, tolling.”
• Consonance : Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same line, such as the sound of /t/ in “They are neither brute nor human” and the sound of /n/ in “At the melancholy menace of their tone.”
• Enjambment : It is defined as a thought in verse that does not come to an end at a line break ; rather, it rolls over to the next line. For example;

“While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight;”

• Irony : Irony is a figure of speech in which words are used in such a way that their intended meaning is different from the actual meaning of the words. The ending of the poem shows situational irony , where only people who ring the bell are happy, such as; “As he knells, knells, knells,/In a happy Runic rhyme.”
• Imagery : Imagery is used to make readers perceive things involving their five senses. Poe used imagery in this poem, such as; “And he dances, and he yells;” and “What a world of solemn thought their monody compels.”
• Metaphor : It is a figure of speech in which an implied comparison is made between objects different in nature. The poet has used emotions as an extended metaphor in the poem to show how our emotion changes with the situation.
• Personification : Personification is to give human qualities to inanimate objects. The poet has personified bells in the poem, such as “To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.”
• Symbolism : Symbolism uses symbols to signify ideas and qualities, giving them symbolic meanings that are different from the literal ones. The poem shows symbols such as joy, sorrow, melancholy, and emotions.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Bells

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

• Diction : The poem shows descriptive diction having rhetorical devices , symbolism, and impressive images.
• Repetition : There is a repetition of the verse “Bells, bells, bells” which has created a musical quality in the poem.
• Refrain : The lines repeated at some distance in the poems are called a refrain . The verse “Bells, bells, bells” is repeated with the same words. Therefore, it has become a refrain.
• Stanza : A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. There are four stanzas in this poem, with each comprising a different number of verses.

Quotes to be Used

The following lines are useful to quote while talking about the good experience of his life.

“Hear the sledges with the bells— Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night!”

Related posts:

• Bells and Whistles
• A Dream within a Dream
• The Conqueror Worm
• To My Mother
• The Haunted Palace
• To — — –. Ulalume: A Ballad
• A Valentine
• Edgar Allan Poe
• Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
• Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening
• Phenomenal Woman
• We Wear the Mask
• The World is Too Much With Us
• In Flanders Fields
• Acquainted with the Night
• Old Ironsides
• Auguries of Innocence
• Dover Beach
• Those Winter Sundays
• Fire and Ice
• How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
• Jabberwocky
• The Bridge Builder
• La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad
• There was a Crooked Man
• The Solitary Reaper
• Song of Myself
• A Narrow Fellow in the Grass
• Beat! Beat! Drums!
• A Wolf Is at the Laundromat
• The Barefoot Boy
• The Death of the Hired Man
• She Dwelt Among the Untrodden Ways
• Who Has Seen the Wind?
• The Chambered Nautilus
• The Wild Swans at Coole
• Tell all the Truth but Tell it Slant
• For My Daughter
• There Will Come Soft Rains
• The History Teacher
• During Wind and Rain
• The Thickness of Ice
•  A Quoi Bon Dire
• Last of His Tribe
• Symphony in Yellow
• Absent From Thee
• Burning the Old Year
• Once the World Was Perfect
• Subway Wind
• Harvest at Mynachlog
• Next, Please
• September 1, 1939  
• Break of Day
• Cousin Kate
• How Do I Love Thee?
• Fireflies In The Garden
• Lammas Hireling
• Love, a child, is ever crying
• Sometimes When it Rains
• Leda and the Swan
• The Rose That Grew from Concrete
• The Great Storm
• The Starry Night
• Act of Union
• Sonnet 16: But Wherefore Do Not You a Mightier Way
• Sweeney  Among The Nightingales
• My Son My Executioner
• Friendly Advice to a Lot of Young Men
• Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit
• Two Butterflies Went Out at Noon
• The Tiger Who Wore White Gloves
• The Bright Lights of Sarajevo
• As Froth on the Face of the Deep
• I Know My Soul
• Al Claro De Luna (In the Light of the Moon)
• I started Early — Took my Dog —
• Life Is Fine
• Our Deepest Fear

Post navigation

• Edgar Allan Poe

Hear the sledges with the bells- Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells- From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Hear the mellow wedding bells, Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, And an in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, Of the bells, bells, bells,bells, Bells, bells, bells- To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

Hear the loud alarum bells- Brazen bells! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak, They can only shriek, shriek, Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire, Leaping higher, higher, higher, With a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavor, Now- now to sit or never, By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells Of Despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar! What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air! Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging, And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows: Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling, And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells- Of the bells- Of the bells, bells, bells,bells, Bells, bells, bells- In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

Hear the tolling of the bells- Iron Bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people- ah, the people- They that dwell up in the steeple, All Alone And who, tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone- They are neither man nor woman- They are neither brute nor human- They are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A paean from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the paean of the bells! And he dances, and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the paean of the bells- Of the bells: Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells- Of the bells, bells, bells- To the sobbing of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells- Of the bells, bells, bells: To the tolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells- Bells, bells, bells- To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Bells

21 comments.

bells for jhon whitesid”s daughter by ransom > it focuses on the metaphors ,similies dramatic situations ,irony and the theme of the poem .it also provides a thesis that the poem depicts death from the perspective of mourners who know that death will come to all humans beings.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Do you have any comments, criticism, paraphrasis or analysis of this poem that you feel would assist other visitors in understanding the meaning or the theme of this poem by Edgar Allan Poe better? If accepted, your analysis will be added to this page of American Poems. Together we can build a wealth of information, but it will take some discipline and determination.

The Bells Summary & Analysis

Table of Contents

About Poem: The Bells

Themes: the bells.

The themes of “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe are:

• The passage of time ➤ The poem describes the different types of bells that ring throughout a person’s life, from the silver bells of childhood to the iron bells of death.
• The different stages of life ➤ The poem also explores the different stages of human life, from the joy and innocence of childhood to the love and happiness of youth, to the conflict and turmoil of adulthood, and finally the sorrow and death of old age.
• The fleeting nature of life ➤ The poem is a reminder that life is short and precious, and that we should cherish every moment.

The Bells Poem

        Hear the sledges with the bells                  Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells!         How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,            In the icy air of night!         While the stars that oversprinkle         All the heavens, seem to twinkle            With a crystalline delight;          Keeping time, time, time,          In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinabulation that so musically wells        From the bells, bells, bells, bells,                Bells, bells, bells   From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

        Hear the mellow wedding bells,                  Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!         Through the balmy air of night         How they ring out their delight!            From the molten-golden notes,                And all in tune,            What a liquid ditty floats     To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats                On the moon!          Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!                How it swells!                How it dwells            On the Future! how it tells            Of the rapture that impels          To the swinging and the ringing            Of the bells, bells, bells,          Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,                Bells, bells, bells   To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

         Hear the loud alarum bells                  Brazen bells! What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!        In the startled ear of night        How they scream out their affright!          Too much horrified to speak,          They can only shriek, shriek,                   Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,             Leaping higher, higher, higher,             With a desperate desire,          And a resolute endeavor          Now-now to sit or never,        By the side of the pale-faced moon.             Oh, the bells, bells, bells!             What a tale their terror tells                   Of Despair!        How they clang, and clash, and roar!        What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air!        Yet the ear it fully knows,             By the twanging,             And the clanging,          How the danger ebbs and flows;        Yet the ear distinctly tells,             In the jangling,             And the wrangling.        How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells              Of the bells      Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,             Bells, bells, bells  In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

          Hear the tolling of the bells                  Iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!         In the silence of the night,         How we shiver with affright   At the melancholy menace of their tone!         For every sound that floats         From the rust within their throats                  Is a groan.         And the people-ah, the peopl        They that dwell up in the steeple,                  All alone,         And who tolling, tolling, tolling,           In that muffled monotone,          Feel a glory in so rolling           On the human heart a stone      They are neither man nor woman      They are neither brute nor human               They are Ghouls:         And their king it is who tolls;         And he rolls, rolls, rolls,                     Rolls              A pæan from the bells!           And his merry bosom swells              With the pæan of the bells!           And he dances, and he yells;           Keeping time, time, time,           In a sort of Runic rhyme,              To the pæan of the bells                Of the bells:           Keeping time, time, time,           In a sort of Runic rhyme,             To the throbbing of the bells           Of the bells, bells, bells             To the sobbing of the bells;           Keeping time, time, time,             As he knells, knells, knells,           In a happy Runic rhyme,             To the rolling of the bells           Of the bells, bells, bells             To the tolling of the bells,       Of the bells, bells, bells, bells               Bells, bells, bells   To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

The Bells Summary & Analysis

The Bells” is a renowned poem by Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1849. This poem consists of four stanzas, and each stanza represents a different stage of human life, marked by the changing sounds and symbolism of bells. Here’s a stanza-by-stanza summary of the poem:

Stanza 1: Silver Bells

The poem begins with a description of “silver bells,” which are associated with joy and celebration. The sound of these bells is described as cheerful and light, and they symbolize the happiness and innocence of youth. Poe conveys a sense of merriment and optimism, with the bells ringing in a “world of merriment.”

Stanza 2: Golden Bells

In the second stanza, the poem takes a darker turn as it introduces “golden bells.” These bells represent the stage of adulthood and maturation, where life takes on a more serious and somber tone. The bells’ sound is deeper and more resonant, symbolizing the weight of responsibilities and the passage of time. There’s a sense of foreboding, as the bells seem to toll for the inevitable burdens that come with age.

Stanza 3: Brazen Bells

The third stanza introduces “brazen bells” that signify the turbulent and chaotic phase of life. The sound of these bells is harsh and discordant, reflecting the tumultuous experiences and challenges that people face. It’s a stage of life filled with turmoil and strife, where the world seems to be in disarray, and the tolling of the bells is almost agonizing.

Stanza 4: Iron Bells

The final stanza features “iron bells,” symbolizing the end of life and the approach of death. The sound of these bells is described as mournful and heavy, and they evoke a sense of dread and finality. The poem concludes with a sense of inescapable mortality, as the iron bells toll relentlessly, leading to the inevitable end of human existence.

FAQs: The Bells

What is the story the bells about.

The story of “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe is about the different stages of human life, from birth to death, as represented by the sounds of different types of bells.

Why was The Bells written?

This poem was written to explore the different stages of human life and the fleeting nature of time

What are the poetic elements of the bells?

The poetic elements of the bells are their sound , symbolism , and evocation of emotion .

Is I Heard the Bells Based on a true story?

No, this poem is not based on a true story. It is a fictional poem that explores the different stages of human life through the symbolism of bells.

Other Free Summaries:

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Poem Analysis
• Writers/Poets
• Literary Theory
• Short Story
• Book Review
• Kid’s Corner
• Poetic Techniques
• Phrases and Idiomatic Expressions
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

“The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

Analysis of “The Bells”

Edgar Allan Poe was a master of the macabre, and his poem “The Bells” is no exception. The poem, originally published in 1849, is a classic example of Poe’s use of onomatopoeia, symbolism, and alliteration to bring to life the emotions of fear and dread associated with bells. In this blog post, we will dive deep into the poem and explore the themes, symbols, and language used by Poe to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense.

The bells in the poem are the physical bells that are rung to signal a particular event. In the poem, the bells are personified, and each bell is associated with a different emotion or time of life. For example, the first bell, the silver bell, is associated with youth and joy, while the last, the iron bell, is associated with sorrow and death. The poem begins with the tinkling of the silver bells, which gradually transitions to a clamorous ringing of the golden bells, representing the transition from youth to maturity. The next bell is a loud alarm-like ringing of the brass bells, which marks a transition from middle age to old age. Then there is a slow, muffled sound of the bronze bells that symbolizes sorrow and remembrance. Lastly, the doleful sound of the iron bells reflects the inevitability of death. Through this poem, Poe attempts to capture life’s beauty and tragedy – from joyous moments to despairing ones. By personifying the various bells, Poe also emphasizes how time passes quickly and how every moment in life is precious.

Poet’s Association to “The Bells”

In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “The Bells,” the speaker is haunted by bells, with their various tones ringing in his ears and conjuring up various emotions. The bells provide a backdrop to the speaker’s mind throughout the poem. The bells provide a kind of outside force that helps him to reflect on his internal state. As the poem progresses, the bells become more than just a sonic backdrop: they begin to take on greater symbolic significance. The first set of bells that the speaker hears is the silver bells, which evoke joy and love. They create a festivity and celebration as they ring through the night. Next come to the golden bells, which evoke feelings of prosperity and wealth. Finally, the iron bells arrive with their knell of sorrow and despair. This last set of bells produces a feeling of sadness and finality that profoundly affects the speaker. The bells, then, act as a kind of soundtrack to the speaker’s changing mood. They mark time and help him to process his emotions. In this way, they represent both the passing of time and the fleeting nature of life. This helps to create a sense of urgency in the poem, as the speaker’s emotions become increasingly heightened with each passing bell.

Symbolic Significance of The Bells

In his poem “The Bells,” Edgar Allan Poe uses the sound of bells to represent the passage of time and its associated emotions. The poem is split into four sections, each featuring a different type of bell: sleigh bells, wedding bells, alarm bells, and death knells. Sleigh bells are associated with winter and youth, evoking feelings of joy and innocence. Wedding bells signify love, celebration, and joy. Alarm bells reflect turmoil and urgency. Lastly, death knells evoke sadness and mortality. Throughout the poem, Poe uses the sound of bells to convey the speaker’s emotional journey through life. The jingling of the sleigh bells reflects the joy of childhood. The jubilant sound of the wedding bells brings hope for a bright future. As the poem progresses, the sound of the bells becomes increasingly urgent and panicked, culminating in the sound of death knells representing the speaker’s eventual mortality. In this way, Poe uses the sound of bells to convey an emotional journey through life – from youth to old age – and the inevitability of death. By using this powerful metaphor, Poe emphasizes how precious time is and how important it is to make the most of our lives.

Poetic Elements Used in “The Bells”

In “ The Bells,” Edgar Allan Poe employs various poetic techniques, including repetition, alliteration, and personification. Repetition, exemplified by phrases like “Keeping time, time, time” and “As he knells, knells, knells,” helps to create the musical rhythm and melody that unifies the poem and echoes the sounds of the bells. Additionally, the repetition of the word “bells” at the end of each stanza serves as a refrain. Alliteration, the use of words that begin with the same sound near, can be seen in lines like “happiness” and “harmony” in the second part and “frantic fire” in the third part. Personification, the attribution of human characteristics to non-human beings or objects, is evident in the description of the bells experiencing horror as the poem progresses.

Suggested Readings

What Are Different Types of Diction?

Analysis of “Eldorado” by Edgar Allan Poe

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

Ways to check plagiarism from your assignments, analysis of “in flanders fields” by john mccrae, analysis of wuthering heights by emily brontë, editor picks, why would we consider macbeth a tragic hero, how does shakespeare use foreshadowing in macbeth, how is macbeth relevant today, popular posts, “when i have fears” by john keats, grow old with me by robert browning, what is the theme of ode to a grecian urn, popular category.

• Poem Analysis 88
• Book Review 26
• Writers/Poets 18
• Short Story 14
• Literary Theory 9
• Poetic Techniques 1
• Phrases and Idiomatic Expressions 1

The Bells Poem By Edgar Allan Poe Summary, Notes And Line By Line Analysis In English

Table of Contents

Introduction

“The Bells”, which Poe wrote towards the end of his life, explores bell sounds as symbols for four life milestones: birth, youth, adulthood, and death. The piece was sent to Sartain’s Union Magazine for publication. After Poe’s demise, it was published the next year in November 1849.

About The Poet

A writer, poet, editor, and literary critic, Edgar Allan Poe was an American. Poe is best renowned for his short stories and poems, especially his macabre and mystery-themed works. He is largely considered as a key representative of American Romanticism and American literature.

He describes many bells, the sounds they make, and the occasions for which they are used in each stanza. He mentions Christmas bells and jingle bells in the opening stanza. He represents the bells in this poem with the words “tinkling” and “jingling.” The reader gains a cheerful and jovial spirit when he utilizes these words. The poem is off to a warm and joyful start.

The speaker moves closer to talking about “wedding bells” in the opening sequence of stanza two. Instead of being silver, they are “golden,” which may allude to the passage of time and the intrinsic changes that accompany aging. Still inspiring, the visuals refer to “harmony” and the “balmy air of night” and speak of peace. The bells are emitting “delight” and “molten-golden sounds.” They are lovely and produce a “liquid ditty,” or song, that even “the turtle-dove” enjoys.         

These phrases keep expressing hope for the future. They are predicting the future in some way. He conveys anxiety by using the terms clanging, clashing, and screaming. He tells how the bells clatter and clang out of tune to signal an emergency to others around. 

A total of forty-four lines make up the final stanza of “The Bells,” making it the longest. These opening lines have the somber sound of the “Iron bells.” Although they are less turbulent than before, the type of fear, tragedy, or loss has not improved. The sound of the bells now fills the listeners with deep terror. Anyone who hears them may tell that they are groaning out in fear and despair.

The speaker talks of “those” in the bell tower who enjoy rolling a stone over a person’s heart. They call themselves “Ghouls,” and their ruler “tolls” and “rolls, rolls, rolls” a triumphant melody from the bells. The bells are once again described as “moaning and groaning” at the poem’s conclusion. They are suffering at the hands of the bell-ringing King of the Ghouls, who enjoys the horror he is causing.

Related Posts:

• The Lady of Shalott by Alfred Lord Tennyson Poem Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English
• Goblin Market Poem by Christina Rossetti Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English
• Random Harry Potter Character Generator
• Random University Name Generator
• Random Phrase Generator [English]
• An Ode to Death by Daud Kamal Poem Summary, Notes and Line by Line Explanation in English

ELA Common Core Lesson Plans

• Create Characters Lesson Plan
• Creative Writing Lesson Plan: Using Details
• How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay
• How to Write a Conclusion for an Essay Lesson Plan
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• How to Write a Reflective Essay
• How to Write an Article Critique and Review
• How to Write an Introduction to an Essay
• How to Write a Problem Solution Essay
• Lesson Plan: Effective Sentence Structure
• Lesson Plan: Improve Writing Style with Improved Sentence Structure
• Logical Fallacies Lesson Plan with Summary & Examples
• Teaching Active and Passive Voice
• Teaching How to Revise a Rough Draft
• Teaching Instructional Articles: How to Write Instructions
• Teaching Word Choice: Using Strong Verbs
• Using Imagery Lesson Plan
• Writing for Audience and Purpose
• Writing Transitions Lesson
• Analyzing Humor in Literature Lesson Plan
• Analyzing Shakespeare Strategies
• Fun Reading Lesson Plan
• How to Write a Literary Analysis.
• How to Annotate and Analyze a Poem
• Lesson Plan for Teaching Annotation
• Literary Terms Lesson Plan
• Literature Exemplars – Grades-9-10
• Teaching Short Story Elements
• Using Short Stories to Teach Elements of Literature
• Bill of Rights Lesson Plan
• Fun Ideas for Teaching Language
• Comma Rules: How to Use Commas
• Difference between Denotation and Connotation
• Effective Word Choice Lesson Plan
• Fun Grammar Review Game or Vocabulary & Language Arts
• Lesson Plans for Substitute Teachers and Busy English Teachers
• Lesson Plan: Creating the Perfect Title
• 4.08 – Lesson Plan: Using Semicolons Correctly
• Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement Lesson Plan
• Sentence Combining Made Easy Lesson Plan
• Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary
• Using Tone Effectively Lesson Plan
• 4.12 – Word Choice Lesson Plan: Eliminate and Replace “To Be” Verbs
• Using Voice in Writing Effectively Lesson Plan
• Speaking & Listening
• Teacher Guide Central

The Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe: “The Bells” Analysis

Edgar allan poe’s “the bells” literary analysis.

Impress your friends and neighbors with your literary smarts by showing off a deep understanding of “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe. You can find the poem at the bottom of this post.

Literary Devices in “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

A literary analysis of “The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe demonstrates the mastery of sound devices and creates a sensory extravaganza. Let us, therefore, begin our journey with examples of onomatopoeia, internal rhyme, alliteration, assonance, and consonance.

Get 5 Short Story Lesson Plans Now!

We specialize in teacher-ready lesson plans.

I will never give away, trade or sell your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Onomatopoeia : “tinkle, tinkle, tinkle” (4), “tintinnabulation (11), “jingling and the tinkling” (14), “How they ring out their delight” (19), “To the swinging and the ringing” (31), “shriek, shriek” (42), “By the twanging / and the clanging” (58-59), “In the jangling / and the wrangling” (62-63), “the clamor and the clangor” (69)

Alliteration : “Runic rhyme,” “sounding cells” (II, 11), “What a tale of terror, now, their turbulence tells (III, 3), “frantic fire” (III, 10), “desperate desire” (III, 12), “now to sit or never” (III, 14), “What a tale their terror tells” (III, 16), “clang and clash” (18), “melancholy menace” (IV, 6), “muffled monotone” (IV, 26), “human heart” (IV, 28)

Assonance : “sledges, bells” (I, 1), “merriment their melody foretells” (I, 3), “icy air of night” (I, 5), “crystalline delight” (I, 8), “tintinnabulation” (I, 11), “jingling and the tinkling” (I, 14), “mellow wedding bells” (II, 1), “molten-golden notes” (II, 6), “liquid ditty” (II, 8) “What a gush of euphony voluminously wells” (II, 14), “pale-faced” (III, 15), “silence of the light” (IV, 4), “melancholy menace” (IV, 6), “glory…rolling” (IV, 15),

Repetition : “bells,” “keeping time, time, time / In a sort of rhunic rhyme,” “shriek, shriek,” “higher, higher, higher,” tolling, tolling, tolling,” “swells,” and many more

Rhythm and Meter : More than any other poetic device, it’s the rhythm of “The Bells” that makes it lyrical. Poe, in addition to the aforementioned sound devices, uses internal rhyme, line length, varied meter, and punctuation to create an imitative bell rhythm. It’s nigh impossible to identify a set meter in this poem (for more on meter, take a look at the meter and rhythm study guide ).

Tips for Writing an Analysis

I’ve given you plenty of information to write your own Edgar Allan Poe literary analysis of “The Bells.”  Consider the following questions as you write it.

1.  Keep in mind as you write your analysis that “The Bells” is a lyric poem, a musical poem that expresses a feeling. What feeling is being expressed?

• Hint: Poe often wrote about madness.

2.  What are the four different bells of which Poe writes? 3.  Why do you think some stanzas use more alliteration, some more assonance, some more onomatopoeia? 4.  How does Poe use sound devices to imitate the sound of bells? 5.  Why is it I feel like rapping this poem with violent hand gestures?

“The Bells” by Edgar Allan Poe

Hear the sledges with the bells – Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle, In the icy air of night! While the stars that oversprinkle All the heavens seem to twinkle With a crystalline delight; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells From the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells – From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

Hear the mellow wedding bells – Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells! Through the balmy air of night How they ring out their delight! From the molten-golden notes, And all in tune, What a liquid ditty floats To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats On the moon! Oh, from out the sounding cells What a gush of euphony voluminously wells! How it swells! How it dwells On the Future! -how it tells Of the rapture that impels To the swinging and the ringing Of the bells, bells, bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells – To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

Hear the loud alarum bells – Brazen bells! What a tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells! In the startled ear of night How they scream out their affright! Too much horrified to speak, They can only shriek, shriek, Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire, Leaping higher, higher, higher, With a desperate desire, And a resolute endeavor Now -now to sit or never, By the side of the pale-faced moon. Oh, the bells, bells, bells! What a tale their terror tells Of despair! How they clang, and clash, and roar! What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air! Yet the ear it fully knows, By the twanging And the clanging, How the danger ebbs and flows; Yet the ear distinctly tells, In the jangling And the wrangling, How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells – Of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells – In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

Hear the tolling of the bells – Iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels! In the silence of the night, How we shiver with affright At the melancholy menace of their tone! For every sound that floats From the rust within their throats Is a groan. And the people -ah, the people – They that dwell up in the steeple, All alone, And who tolling, tolling, tolling, In that muffled monotone, Feel a glory in so rolling On the human heart a stone – They are neither man nor woman – They are neither brute nor human – They are Ghouls: And their king it is who tolls; And he rolls, rolls, rolls, Rolls A paean from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the paean of the bells! And he dances, and he yells; Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the paean of the bells, Of the bells – Keeping time, time, time, In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the throbbing of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells – To the sobbing of the bells; Keeping time, time, time, As he knells, knells, knells, In a happy Runic rhyme, To the rolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells – To the tolling of the bells, Of the bells, bells, bells, bells, Bells, bells, bells – To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2024 | By: WebsiteRedesign.nz

The Bells Introduction

In a nutshell.

Have you ever heard a sound that filled you with excitement and emotion? Have you ever listened to music that seemed to talk directly to your heart? That's the kind of experience that " The Bells " is all about. This was one of the last poems the famously spooky Edgar Allan Poe ever wrote. It was published in Sartain's Union Magazine in November of 1849, just after Poe's mysterious death in October of that year. Poe was paid $15 for his work.

"The Bells" isn't the most famous poem he ever wrote (that prize probably has to go to " The Raven "). It might, however, be the poem where he takes his musical, almost hypnotic style to its farthest extreme. It's hard to think of another Poe work so full of onomatopoetic brilliance (yeah, we just said "onomatopoetic" – we think Poe would be proud). This is Poe in all his weird glory, exploring the full range of human emotions and the power of his poetic craft.

Why Should I Care?

Poetry is partly about perfect phrases and inspiring feelings. At the bottom, though, it's all about sound. In a way, poetry is just as close to music as it is to other kinds of literature. "The Bells," in particular, is a lot closer to a song than, say, a story. Just like a song, you need to hear "The Bells" out loud. And just like a song, you don't really have to know the lyrics to get a good feel for it. You know how you can listen to a song tons of times, love the mood it creates, and have absolutely no idea what it's actually saying ? That's because it's the sound that matters, not the words.

"The Bells," like a lot of Poe's work, is a crazy sonic (sound) journey. We totally recommend that you listen to a few versions of "The Bells" before reading it. Here are a few options:

• Click here to listen to famous Shakespearean actor Basil Rathbone reads the poem.
• Listen to a musical chorus sing the creepiest stanza of the poem about the iron bells and the ghouls.
• Listen to 18 non professional readings of "The Bells" from LibriVox. Some of these are okay (we kind of like #10 by JCM, #11 by JM, and #14 by LV). Others are just embarrassing (like #8 read by GC). #16 by PH even sounds like Dracula reading the poem.

Now, just sit back and experience the sound of the poem. That's more than half the journey of understanding "The Bells."

Tired of ads?

Cite this source, logging out…, logging out....

You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds...

W hy's T his F unny?

• National Poetry Month
• Materials for Teachers
• Literary Seminars
• American Poets Magazine

Main navigation

• Academy of American Poets

User account menu

Find and share the perfect poems.

Page submenu block

• literary seminars
• materials for teachers
• poetry near you

Add to anthology

        Hear the sledges with the bells—                  Silver bells! What a world of merriment their melody foretells!         How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,            In the icy air of night!         While the stars that oversprinkle         All the heavens, seem to twinkle            With a crystalline delight;          Keeping time, time, time,          In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinabulation that so musically wells        From the bells, bells, bells, bells,                Bells, bells, bells—   From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.

        Hear the mellow wedding bells,                  Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells!         Through the balmy air of night         How they ring out their delight!            From the molten-golden notes,                And all in tune,            What a liquid ditty floats     To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats                On the moon!          Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!                How it swells!                How it dwells            On the Future! how it tells            Of the rapture that impels          To the swinging and the ringing            Of the bells, bells, bells,          Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,                Bells, bells, bells—   To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells!

         Hear the loud alarum bells—                  Brazen bells! What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells!        In the startled ear of night        How they scream out their affright!          Too much horrified to speak,          They can only shriek, shriek,                   Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,             Leaping higher, higher, higher,             With a desperate desire,          And a resolute endeavor          Now—now to sit or never,        By the side of the pale-faced moon.             Oh, the bells, bells, bells!             What a tale their terror tells                   Of Despair!        How they clang, and clash, and roar!        What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air!        Yet the ear it fully knows,             By the twanging,             And the clanging,          How the danger ebbs and flows;        Yet the ear distinctly tells,             In the jangling,             And the wrangling.        How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells—              Of the bells—      Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,             Bells, bells, bells—  In the clamor and the clangor of the bells!

          Hear the tolling of the bells—                  Iron bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!         In the silence of the night,         How we shiver with affright   At the melancholy menace of their tone!         For every sound that floats         From the rust within their throats                  Is a groan.         And the people—ah, the people—        They that dwell up in the steeple,                  All alone,         And who tolling, tolling, tolling,           In that muffled monotone,          Feel a glory in so rolling           On the human heart a stone—      They are neither man nor woman—      They are neither brute nor human—               They are Ghouls:         And their king it is who tolls;         And he rolls, rolls, rolls,                     Rolls              A pæan from the bells!           And his merry bosom swells              With the pæan of the bells!           And he dances, and he yells;           Keeping time, time, time,           In a sort of Runic rhyme,              To the pæan of the bells—                Of the bells:           Keeping time, time, time,           In a sort of Runic rhyme,             To the throbbing of the bells—           Of the bells, bells, bells—             To the sobbing of the bells;           Keeping time, time, time,             As he knells, knells, knells,           In a happy Runic rhyme,             To the rolling of the bells—           Of the bells, bells, bells—             To the tolling of the bells,       Of the bells, bells, bells, bells—               Bells, bells, bells—   To the moaning and the groaning of the bells.

From The Works of the Late Edgar Allan Poe , vol. II, 1850. For other versions, please visit The Edgar Allan Poe Society of Baltimore site: http://www.eapoe.org/works/poems/index.htm#B .

More by this poet

Ah broken is the golden bowl! the spirit flown forever! Let the bell toll!--a saintly soul floats on the Stygian river; And, Guy De Vere, hast thou no tear?--weep now or never more! See! on yon drear and rigid bier low lies thy love, Lenore! Come! let the burial rite be read--the funeral song be sung!-- An anthem for the queenliest dead that ever died so young--

Annabel Lee

It was many and many a year ago,    In a kingdom by the sea, That a maiden there lived whom you may know    By the name of Annabel Lee; And this maiden she lived with no other thought    Than to love and be loved by me.

The City in the Sea

Lo! Death has reared himself a throne In a strange city lying alone Far down within the dim West, Where the good and the bad and the worst and the best Have gone to their eternal rest. There shrines and palaces and towers (Time-eaten towers and tremble not!) Resemble nothing that is ours.

Newsletter Sign Up

• Academy of American Poets Newsletter
• Academy of American Poets Educator Newsletter
• Teach This Poem

by Edgar Allan Poe (published 1849)

                                 I.                HEAR the sledges with the bells --                      Silver bells ! What a world of merriment their melody foretells !            How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,                  In the icy air of night !            While the stars that oversprinkle            All the heavens, seem to twinkle                  With a crystalline delight ;               Keeping time, time, time,               In a sort of Runic rhyme, To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells       From the bells, bells, bells, bells,                      Bells, bells, bells --    From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.                                  II.                Hear the mellow wedding bells                      Golden bells! What a world of happiness their harmony foretells !            Through the balmy air of night            How they ring out their delight !                  From the molten-golden notes,                      And all in tune,                  What a liquid ditty floats       To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats                      On the moon !              Oh, from out the sounding cells, What a gush of euphony voluminously wells !                      How it swells !                      How it dwells                  On the Future ! how it tells                  Of the rapture that impels              To the swinging and the ringing                  Of the bells, bells, bells,       Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,                      Bells, bells, bells --    To the rhyming and the chiming of the bells !                                  III.                Hear the loud alarum bells --                          Brazen bells ! What tale of terror, now, their turbulency tells !            In the startled ear of night            How they scream out their affright !                Too much horrified to speak,                They can only shriek, shriek,                           Out of tune, In a clamorous appealing to the mercy of the fire, In a mad expostulation with the deaf and frantic fire,                   Leaping higher, higher, higher,                   With a desperate desire,                And a resolute endeavor                Now -- now to sit or never,            By the side of the pale-faced moon.                   Oh, the bells, bells, bells !                   What a tale their terror tells                          Of Despair !         How they clang, and clash, and roar !         What a horror they outpour On the bosom of the palpitating air !            Yet the ear, it fully knows,                  By the twanging,                  And the clanging,             How the danger ebbs and flows ;         Yet, the ear distinctly tells,               In the jangling,               And the wrangling,         How the danger sinks and swells, By the sinking or the swelling in the anger of the bells --                   Of the bells --       Of the bells, bells, bells, bells,               Bells, bells, bells --    In the clamour and the clangour of the bells !                                  IV.                Hear the tolling of the bells --                      Iron bells ! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels !         In the silence of the night,         How we shiver with affright     At the melancholy meaning of their tone !             For every sound that floats             From the rust within their throats                     Is a groan.             And the people -- ah, the people --             They that dwell up in the steeple,                     All alone,             And who, tolling, tolling, tolling,                 In that muffled monotone,             Feel a glory in so rolling                 On the human heart a stone --         They are neither man nor woman --         They are neither brute nor human --                     They are Ghouls: --             And their king it is who tolls ;             And he rolls, rolls, rolls, rolls,                      Rolls                 A pæan from the bells !             And his merry bosom swells                 With the pæan of the bells !             And he dances, and he yells ;         Keeping time, time, time,         In a sort of Runic rhyme,                 To the pæan of the bells --                      Of the bells :         Keeping time, time, time,         In a sort of Runic rhyme,                 To the throbbing of the bells --             Of the bells, bells, bells --                 To the sobbing of the bells ;         Keeping time, time, time,             As he knells, knells, knells,         In a happy Runic rhyme,                 To the rolling of the bells --             Of the bells, bells, bells --                 To the tolling of the bells,       Of the bells, bells, bells, bells --                      Bells, bells, bells --    To the moaning and the groaning of the bells. NOTES: The indentation of this poem was done purposely in an attempt to match the way Poe originally wrote it. It seems as though Poe had some idea in mind but no one is sure what it was.

home | biography | summaries | stories | poetry | timeline | quotes | forum

gallery | wordlist | guestbook | bookstore | links | credits | site map | contact

home | stories | poetry | timeline | gallery | site map | contact

html5   pulp8

The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe: poem analysis

• edgar-allan-poe

This is an analysis of the poem The Bells that begins with:

I Hear the sledges with the bells-... full text

More information about poems by Edgar Allan Poe

• Analysis of Spirits Of The Dead
• Analysis of A Valentine
• Analysis of Bridal Ballad

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

• A place to publish and distribute your work on a high-authority poetry website.
• Balanced and credible private feedback from educators and authors.
• A respectful community of all levels of poetry enthusiasts.
• Additional premium tools and resources.

Racing world mourns after the death of Italian jockey Stefano Cherchi following race fall in Canberra

Sport Racing world mourns after the death of Italian jockey Stefano Cherchi following race fall in Canberra

Italian jockey Stefano Cherchi has died aged 23, two weeks after being hurt in a fall at race meet in Canberra.

Cherchi's girlfriend Brittany, the daughter of former British jockey Kieren Fallon, had travelled to Australia to be at his bedside.

"With deep sadness, the Cherchi family have announced their beloved son Stefano passed away peacefully today," the New South Wales Jockeys Association wrote in a release.

"The family are very grateful for the love, prayers and messages sent by the racing community across the world."

Cherchi was placed in intensive care with a serious head injury after his mount fell during a race at Canberra on March 20. His horse, Hasime, came down in an incident that involved two other horses.

While the other two riders and all of the horses avoided injury, Cherchi was attended to by medics on the track for about an hour before being taken to hospital.

Cherchi, who was based out of Warwick Farm, rode more than 100 winners in Britain before relocating to Australia at the start of the year.

"Today is an absolutely heartbreaking day for us all but Stefano will always be with us. His charming character and smile can never be forgotten," trainer Marco Botti said.

"Our thoughts are with the Cherchi family and his close friends."

The rider was "much loved and will be missed" the Professional Jockeys Association said.

"As well as being a gifted rider, Stefano was immensely popular in the weighing room due to his humility, kindness and sense of humour," it said.

Leading jockey Hollie Doyle posted on X: "Stefano will be sorely missed, he was one of the good guys."

The British Horseracing Authority said Cherchi was held in high esteem around the world.

"The entire racing industry will be in mourning after the loss of such a talented young man," it added.

The ABC of SPORT

• X (formerly Twitter)
• Horse Racing