"The Bells" is a heavily onomatopoeic poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was not published until after his death in 1849. It is perhaps best known for the diacopic use of the word "bells." The poem has four parts to it; each part becomes darker and darker as the poem progresses from "the jingling and the tinkling" of the bells in part 1 to the "moaning and the groaning" of the bells in part 4.
First two pages of Poe's handwritten manuscript for "The Bells", 1848
Additional stanzas of Poe's handwritten manuscript for "The Bells", 1848.
This poem can be interpreted in many different ways, the most basic of which is simply a reflection of the sounds that bells can make, and the emotions evoked from that sound. For example, "From the bells bells bells bells/Bells bells bells!" brings to mind the clamoring of myriad church bells. Several deeper interpretations exist as well. One is that the poem is a representation of life from the nimbleness of youth to the pain of age. Growing despair is emphasized alongside the growing frenzy in the tone of the poem.[1]
The sounds of the verses, specifically the repetitive "bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells," lie on a narrow line between sense and nonsense, causing a feeling of instability.[2] Poe uses - and popularised - the word "tintinnabulation", often wrongly thought to be his own coinage,[3] based on the Latin word for "bell", tintinnabulum.[4] The series of "bells" echo the imagined sounds of the various bells, from the silver bells following the klip-klop of the horses, to the "dong, ding-dong" of the swinging golden and iron bells, to screeching "whee-aaah" of the brazen bells. The series are always four, followed by three, always beginning and ending on a stressed syllable. The meter changes to iambic in the lines with repeated "bells," bringing the reader into their rhythm. Most of the poem is a more hurried trochaic tetrameter.[5]
The bells of which he writes are thought to be those he heard from Fordham University's bell tower, since Poe resided in the same neighborhood as that university. He also frequently strolled about Fordham's campus conversing with both the students and the Jesuits.[6]
Critical response
Richard Wilbur characterized "The Bells" as "altogether a tour de force".[7] Critics have analyzed the musical or sound of the poem as opposed to its literary meaning. A. E. DuBois in "The Jazz Bells of Poe" places the emphasis on the musical quality of the poem which presages jazz and 20th century musical idioms.[8] DuBois sees the poem as a dramatic song that is a precursor for Vachel Lindsay. DuBois makes comparisons to jazz music and places the poem in the style of musical and poetic "primativism" which was ahead of its time in the 1840s.
F. O. Matthiessen rejected the repetitive sounds employed and musical tone as "a case of onomatopoeia pushed to a point where it would hardly be possible or desirable to go again".[9] Edward H. Davidson, however, praised its use of repetitive sounds: "It has been rightly praised for its experimental and effective onomatopoeia; its theme is probably nothing more profound than the four ages of man".[10]
Poe biographer Jeffrey Meyers noted that "The Bells" is often criticized for sounding mechanical and forced.[11]
Publication history
Title page for publication of "The Bells" circa 1881.
Poe is believed to have written "The Bells" in May 1848 and submitted it three times to Sartain's Union Magazine, a magazine co-owned by his friend John Sartain, until it was finally accepted.[12] He was paid fifteen dollars for his work, though it was not published until after his death in the November 1849 issue. It was also published in Horace Greeley's the New York Daily Tribune newspaper on the front page of its October 17, 1849 issue as "Poe's Last Poem".[13]
Inspiration for the poem is often granted to Marie Louise Shew, a woman who had helped care for Poe's wife Virginia as she lay dying.[12] One day, as Shew was visiting Poe at his cottage in Fordham, New York, Poe needed to write a poem but had no inspiration. Shew allegedly heard ringing bells from afar and playfully suggested to start there, possibly even writing the first line of each stanza.[14]
Adaptations
Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) composed a choral symphonyThe Bells, Op. 35, based on a Russian adaptation of the poem by Konstantin Balmont. The symphony follows classical sonata form: first movement, slow movement, scherzo, and finale, thus honoring the poem's four sections.[15] (The work is sometimes performed in English, using not Poe's original, but a translation of Balmont's adaptation by Fanny S. Copeland.) The Scottish composer Hugh S. Roberton (1874–1947) published "Hear the Tolling of the Bells" (1909), "The Sledge Bells" (1909), and "Hear the Sledges with the Bells" (1919) based on Poe's poem.[16]Josef Holbrooke composed his "The Bells, Prelude, Op. 50" on Poe's poem, and American folksinger Phil Ochs composed a tune to the poem recorded on his 1964 album All the News That's Fit to Sing.
Eric Woolfson, musical partner to Alan Parsons in the Alan Parsons Project, has written two albums based on the writings of Poe. His second, Poe: More Tales of Mystery and Imagination includes a song entitled "The Bells", for which he set Poe's words to music. This album was also the basis for a musical stage production that was performed in England, Austria, and other European countries. Pink Floyd have referenced the poem in the last verse of their song "Time" on the album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973). In 1993 Danish composer Poul Ruders wrote a piece "The Bells" for high soprano and ten instruments, using Poe's text in its entirety although in Dutch.[17] The piece was premiered in London, and has appeared on a CD from Bridge Records, New York. MC Lars, a NerdcoreHip hop musician sang a complete version of the poem on his 2012 Edgar Allan Poe EP titled "(Rock) The Bells". The song may be listened to freely on his Bandcamp page.[18]
References
^Silverman, Kenneth. Edgar A. Poe: Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance. New York City: Harper Perennial, 1991. ISBN0-06-092331-8 p. 403
^Rosenheim, Shawn James. The Cryptographic Imagination: Secret Writing from Edgar Poe to the Internet. The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1997. p. 125. ISBN978-0-8018-5332-6
^"Tintinnabulation". World Wide Words. December 29, 2001.
^tintinnabulation, Oxford English Dictionary, Second edition, 1989; online version, December 2011; accessed 09 January 2012. Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary, 1912.
^Sova, Dawn B. Edgar Allan Poe: A to Z. New York: Checkmark Books, 2001. p. 212. ISBN0-8160-4161-X
^The New Danes [Streaming Audio]. (n.d.). Bridge. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from Music Online: Classical Music Library.
^. Archived from the original on 2015-07-07. Retrieved 2015-07-20.
External links
Works related to The Bells at Wikisource
Scans from an 1881 edition with engraved illustrations by R. Riodan, Charles P. King, F.O.C. Darley, S. G. McCutcheon, A. Fredericks, and Granville Perkins
bells, poem, other, uses, bells, bells, heavily, onomatopoeic, poem, edgar, allan, which, published, until, after, death, 1849, perhaps, best, known, diacopic, word, bells, poem, four, parts, each, part, becomes, darker, darker, poem, progresses, from, jinglin. For other uses see The Bells The Bells is a heavily onomatopoeic poem by Edgar Allan Poe which was not published until after his death in 1849 It is perhaps best known for the diacopic use of the word bells The poem has four parts to it each part becomes darker and darker as the poem progresses from the jingling and the tinkling of the bells in part 1 to the moaning and the groaning of the bells in part 4 First two pages of Poe s handwritten manuscript for The Bells 1848Additional stanzas of Poe s handwritten manuscript for The Bells 1848 Contents 1 Analysis 2 Critical response 3 Publication history 4 Adaptations 5 References 6 External linksAnalysis EditThis poem can be interpreted in many different ways the most basic of which is simply a reflection of the sounds that bells can make and the emotions evoked from that sound For example From the bells bells bells bells Bells bells bells brings to mind the clamoring of myriad church bells Several deeper interpretations exist as well One is that the poem is a representation of life from the nimbleness of youth to the pain of age Growing despair is emphasized alongside the growing frenzy in the tone of the poem 1 The sounds of the verses specifically the repetitive bells bells bells bells bells bells bells lie on a narrow line between sense and nonsense causing a feeling of instability 2 Poe uses and popularised the word tintinnabulation often wrongly thought to be his own coinage 3 based on the Latin word for bell tintinnabulum 4 The series of bells echo the imagined sounds of the various bells from the silver bells following the klip klop of the horses to the dong ding dong of the swinging golden and iron bells to screeching whee aaah of the brazen bells The series are always four followed by three always beginning and ending on a stressed syllable The meter changes to iambic in the lines with repeated bells bringing the reader into their rhythm Most of the poem is a more hurried trochaic tetrameter 5 The bells of which he writes are thought to be those he heard from Fordham University s bell tower since Poe resided in the same neighborhood as that university He also frequently strolled about Fordham s campus conversing with both the students and the Jesuits 6 Critical response EditRichard Wilbur characterized The Bells as altogether a tour de force 7 Critics have analyzed the musical or sound of the poem as opposed to its literary meaning A E DuBois in The Jazz Bells of Poe places the emphasis on the musical quality of the poem which presages jazz and 20th century musical idioms 8 DuBois sees the poem as a dramatic song that is a precursor for Vachel Lindsay DuBois makes comparisons to jazz music and places the poem in the style of musical and poetic primativism which was ahead of its time in the 1840s F O Matthiessen rejected the repetitive sounds employed and musical tone as a case of onomatopoeia pushed to a point where it would hardly be possible or desirable to go again 9 Edward H Davidson however praised its use of repetitive sounds It has been rightly praised for its experimental and effective onomatopoeia its theme is probably nothing more profound than the four ages of man 10 Poe biographer Jeffrey Meyers noted that The Bells is often criticized for sounding mechanical and forced 11 Publication history Edit Title page for publication of The Bells circa 1881 Poe is believed to have written The Bells in May 1848 and submitted it three times to Sartain s Union Magazine a magazine co owned by his friend John Sartain until it was finally accepted 12 He was paid fifteen dollars for his work though it was not published until after his death in the November 1849 issue It was also published in Horace Greeley s the New York Daily Tribune newspaper on the front page of its October 17 1849 issue as Poe s Last Poem 13 Inspiration for the poem is often granted to Marie Louise Shew a woman who had helped care for Poe s wife Virginia as she lay dying 12 One day as Shew was visiting Poe at his cottage in Fordham New York Poe needed to write a poem but had no inspiration Shew allegedly heard ringing bells from afar and playfully suggested to start there possibly even writing the first line of each stanza 14 Adaptations EditSergei Rachmaninoff 1873 1943 composed a choral symphony The Bells Op 35 based on a Russian adaptation of the poem by Konstantin Balmont The symphony follows classical sonata form first movement slow movement scherzo and finale thus honoring the poem s four sections 15 The work is sometimes performed in English using not Poe s original but a translation of Balmont s adaptation by Fanny S Copeland The Scottish composer Hugh S Roberton 1874 1947 published Hear the Tolling of the Bells 1909 The Sledge Bells 1909 and Hear the Sledges with the Bells 1919 based on Poe s poem 16 Josef Holbrooke composed his The Bells Prelude Op 50 on Poe s poem and American folksinger Phil Ochs composed a tune to the poem recorded on his 1964 album All the News That s Fit to Sing Eric Woolfson musical partner to Alan Parsons in the Alan Parsons Project has written two albums based on the writings of Poe His second Poe More Tales of Mystery and Imagination includes a song entitled The Bells for which he set Poe s words to music This album was also the basis for a musical stage production that was performed in England Austria and other European countries Pink Floyd have referenced the poem in the last verse of their song Time on the album The Dark Side of the Moon 1973 In 1993 Danish composer Poul Ruders wrote a piece The Bells for high soprano and ten instruments using Poe s text in its entirety although in Dutch 17 The piece was premiered in London and has appeared on a CD from Bridge Records New York MC Lars a Nerdcore Hip hop musician sang a complete version of the poem on his 2012 Edgar Allan Poe EP titled Rock The Bells The song may be listened to freely on his Bandcamp page 18 References Edit Silverman Kenneth Edgar A Poe Mournful and Never ending Remembrance New York City Harper Perennial 1991 ISBN 0 06 092331 8 p 403 Rosenheim Shawn James The Cryptographic Imagination Secret Writing from Edgar Poe to the Internet The Johns Hopkins University Press 1997 p 125 ISBN 978 0 8018 5332 6 Tintinnabulation World Wide Words December 29 2001 tintinnabulation Oxford English Dictionary Second edition 1989 online version December 2011 accessed 09 January 2012 Earlier version first published in New English Dictionary 1912 Analysis Form and Meter Schroth Raymond A 2008 Fordham A History and Memoir New York Fordham University Press pp 22 25 ISBN 9780823229772 Wibur Richard Poe The Laurel Poetry Series New York 1959 p 37 DuBois A E The Jazz Bells of Poe College English II December 1940 230 244 Matthiessen F O Literary History of the United States New York 1948 I 339 Davidson Edward H Selected Writings of Edgar Allan Poe Boston 1956 p 498 Meyers Jeffrey Edgar Allan Poe His Life and Legacy Cooper Square Press 1992 p 223 ISBN 0 8154 1038 7 a b Sova Dawn B Edgar Allan Poe A to Z New York Checkmark Books 2001 p 25 ISBN 0 8160 4161 X The New York Daily Tribune Wednesday October 17 1849 Poe s Last Poem From the Union Magazine for November front page E A Poe Society of Baltimore AmericanSymphony org Archived 2007 07 01 at the Wayback Machine Sova Dawn B Edgar Allan Poe A to Z New York Checkmark Books 2001 p 212 ISBN 0 8160 4161 X The New Danes Streaming Audio n d Bridge Retrieved October 5 2014 from Music Online Classical Music Library MC Lars Lyrics Edgar Allan Poe EP Archived from the original on 2015 07 07 Retrieved 2015 07 20 External links Edit Works related to The Bells at Wikisource Scans from an 1881 edition with engraved illustrations by R Riodan Charles P King F O C Darley S G McCutcheon A Fredericks and Granville Perkins The Bells with audio reading The Bells public domain audiobook at LibriVox Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title The Bells poem amp oldid 1105588732, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
