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Lauree Frances Keith
K. H. S.
English I-4
November 4, 1999
Edgar Allan Poe's poem, "The Bells", is a third person omniscient and first person poem. It is divided into four sections, each describing a bell and its sounds. "...Silver bells!... tinkle, tinkle, tinkle..." (lines 2, 4) "Golden bells!... ring out their delight!" (lines 16, 19) "Brazen bells!... scream out their affright!" (lines 37, 40) "Iron bells!... melancholy menace of their tone!" (lines 71, 75)
The four sections also use diction to create a certain series of emotions for the poem. The first section describes the carefree joy and innocence of childhood, innocent because a child does not know of evil, nor does he look to the future. "While the stars, that oversprinkle/ All the heavens, seem to twinkle/ With a crystalline delight." (lines 6, 7, 8) The words oversprinkle, twinkle, and crystalline place emphasis on the clarity of childhood, and that it goes by quickly. Children often celebrate what is happening now, at the moment, and do not dwell on things; thus this section is the shortest of the four. The second bell section uses the words happiness, harmony, balmy, and delight to make a lighthearted mood of young adulthood. This mood is broken only by the lines: "To the turtle-dove that listens, while she gloats/ On the moon!" (lines 23, 24) The quote illustrates that the carefree feelings are somewhat ignorant, and that all will not always be happy. Someone should be looking ahead into life. The word "gloats" shows that the turtle-dove is maliciously delighted with her knowledge, and does not wish to share it with anyone. She is aware of the pain to come.
Alarum, terror, turbulency, startled, scream, affright, and shriek show fear and uncertainty about life in the third section of Poe's poem. During mid-life, the happiness is being eaten away by the "...deaf and frantic fire." (line 45) The word "Despair!" sums up the hopelessness in the face of such a fire, which will destroy everything in its path, including, possibly, life. "...On the bosom of the palpitating air!" (line 56) Yet the danger, which "ebbs and flows" (line 60) and "sinks and swells" (line 64) may be escapable if the timing is right. The diction of the fourth section is slow and constant, illustrated with the word "tolling", which is repeated throughout the stanza. The words sobbing, throbbing, and stone show the constant, heart-aching pain of this life stage. Another form of diction used is the repeation of the word "bells" toward the end of every section, signifying change and transition into the next stage.
The main symbols in "The Bells" are the bells themselves, each bell possessing distinctive characteristics. The bells in section one are silver, which needs constant care to shine, inferring that this is the stage of childhood, where children must be nourished to grow healthy and happy. The "sledges with the bells" automatically brings on an early winter connotation, symbolizing again the happiness and good health experienced during this stage. The bells of section two, which is a third longer than the first, symbolize young adulthood: "...mellow wedding bells." A summery season is implied because the word "golden" makes on think of warmth and comfort. Gold, which may be molded and changed, is more precious than silver. Summer is longer and more free-flowing than winter's sled season. Put together the two show that, while longer than childhood, the independent life of the young adult is precious, "how it tells/ of the rapture that impels," (lines 29, 30) and not to be missed.
The bells of section three are loud, alarum, and brazen. The adjectives "...terror... turbulency... scream out their affright!" used to describe the bells symbolize sharp fear and autumnal colors. Brass bells are shinier than either gold or silver, but they are beautiful only when maintained and tarnish quickly; both connotate mid-life. The fourth bells are tolling, iron bells. Their strikes are slow, constant, and repetitive, symbolizing the dreariest part of winter: "How we shiver with affright." (line 74) Old age is iron bells: rusty, lusterless, and unmoldable.
Poe used imagery in his poem to elaborate on the sense of hearing, which makes the mood of the bells change. How the bells "tinkle, tinkle, tinkle" (line 4) and the "jingling and the tinkling" of the bells show that the bells' sounds are quick and high like laughter, making children's voices imaginable. Yet the images conjured in section two are more relaxed than the first: "...ring out their delight!/ From the molten golden-notes," (lines 19, 20) This demonstrates that the bell tone/life stage is still positive, but flows together more evenly than the first stage. "What a gush of euphony voluminously wells!" (line 26) This creates the mood of swelling happiness that floods out everything else.
The bells in the third, mid-;ife section are "Out of tune" (line 43) Life here is no longer beautiful and rhythmic. The images in the last section are even darker and colder: "In the silence of the night/ How we shiver with affright!" (lines 73, 74) This makes it understood that there is deep pain and loneliness still to be endured.
There are many examples of figurative language in this poem, most of which contribute to the character of the bells. The silver bells personify "melody and merriment," (line 3) and the golden bells, like the silver, use personification to foretell "happiness and harmony." (line 17) This shows that all that can be seen to come is good and undisturbed by evil or unhappiness.
The bells of section three now tell of "...terror... turbulency." (line 38) Everything is no longer content and peaceful, rather, it is being turned upside-down. The bells are "sinking or... swelling in... anger" (line 65) because the insanity may have been avoidable, and now there is nothing they can do to stop it. In section four the iron bells are "moaning and groaning" (line 114) in protest to an unexpected death of pain and suffering.
Seasons, sound, and stages of life combine to send a theme that opens a paerson to pain when things are well, so that the soul is prepared when things are not. Often people are unable to control destructive forces, and should be appreciative of what is happening in the present.
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