How do you interpret this?

Question

How do you interpret The Bells by Edgar Allan Poe?
Here is a link to a site with the poem.
Please make this your honest opinion.

http://books.eserver.org/poetry/poe/bells.html

The rhythm of hte rhyming is purposeful. Here, look at this...

http://www.enotes.com/bells/

I beleive using this website for hoewrok is cheating so I don't. It is a disgusting practice and I look down upon it. For some religions it is extremely hipocritical, considering cheating is indeed an example of laziness, and in laziness lies sloth, which is one of the 7 deadly sins.

Answer 1

This is one of my favorite poems. I don't know whether this is a homework assignment, so I'll be a bit Socratic rather than responding directly.

First off, think about the four types of bells depicted, one for each stanza. What parts of life might each refer to? What kind of progression do you see from stanza to stanza - in tone, in length, in the ebb and flow of the stanza, etc.? You note that the rhyming is purposeful; what effect does the rhyme scheme have in building and moving the poem?

Look also at the common threads that move through multiple stanzas. How do repeated elements change from stanza to stanza, in tone, rhythm, placement, etc.?

I hope this helps. One way to help your interpretation is to hear the poem. If you can find a recording, or have someone who knows the poem read it aloud, it helps a great deal. Even reading it out loud to yourself can accomplish this to some extent, though.

Answer 2

Quite a remarkable poem like all Poe's pieces.
One can almost hearken to the bells and picture in the mind's eye those dogs pulling sledges on icy terrain:

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 over sprinkle
All the heavens, seem to twinkle
With a crystalline delight;

Poe has exploited the resources of onomatopoeia for lasting effect. Indeed it is like a chorus to which we are all invited to perform as choir members.

good luck

Answer 3

honetsly, i had to stop myself from screaming just so i could finish the poem... it's not that its bad, just, the constant wordplay and never ending rhyming got me sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo annoyed!!! and i have no idea what he's talking about