THE BELLS Edgar Allan Poe I Hear the sledges with the bells Silver bells!

What a world of merriment their melody foretells! How they tin le! tin le! tin le! In the i"y air of night! While the stars that overs#rin le All the heavens! seem to twin le With a "rystalline delight$ %ee#ing time! time! time! In a sort of &'ni" rhyme! To the tintinnab'lation that so m'si"ally wells (rom the bells! bells! bells! bells! Bells! bells! bells (rom the )ingling and the tin ling of the bells* II Hear the mellow wedding bells +olden bells! What a world of ha##iness their harmony foretells! Thro'gh the balmy air of night How they ring o't their delight! (rom the molten - golden notes! And all in t'ne! What a li,'id ditty floats To the t'rtle - dove that listens! while she gloats -n the moon! -h! from o't the so'nding "ells! What a g'sh of e'#hony vol'mino'sly wells! How it swells! How it dwells -n the ('t're! - how it tells -f the ra#t're that im#els To the swinging and the ringing -f the bells! bells! bells -f the bells! bells! bells! bells! Bells! bells! bells -

To the rhyming and the "himing of the bells! III Hear the lo'd alar'm bells Bra.en bells! What a tale of terror! now! their t'rb'len"y tells! In the startled ear of night How they s"ream o't their affright! Too m'"h horrified to s#ea ! They "an only shrie ! shrie ! -'t of t'ne! In a "lamoro's a##ealing to the mer"y of the fire! In a mad e/#ost'lation with the deaf and franti" fire! Lea#ing higher! higher! higher! With a des#erate desire! And a resol'te endeavor 0ow - now to sit! or never! By the side of the #ale - fa"ed moon* -h! the bells! bells! bells! What a tale their terror tells -f 1es#air! How they "lang! and "lash and roar! What a horror they o't#o'r -n the bosom of the #al#itating air! 2et the ear! it f'lly nows! By the twanging! And the "langing! How the danger ebbs and flows$ 2et the ear distin"tly tells! In the )angling! And the wrangling! How the danger sin s and swells! By the sin ing or the swelling in the anger of the bells -f the bells -f the bells! bells! bells! bells! Bells! bells! bells In the "lamor and the "langing of the bells! I3

Hear the tolling of the bells Iron bells! What a world of solemn tho'ght their monody "om#els! In the silen"e of the night! How we shiver with affright At the melan"holy mena"e of their tone! (or every so'nd that floats (rom the r'st within their throats Is a groan* And the #eo#le - ah! the #eo#le They that dwell '# in the stee#le! All alone! And who! tolling! tolling! tolling! In that m'ffled monotone! (eel a glory in so rolling -n the h'man heart a stone They are neither man nor woman They are neither br'te nor h'man They are +ho'ls4 And their ing it is who tolls4 And he rolls! rolls! rolls! &olls A #aean from the bells! And his merry bosom swells With the #aean of the bells! And he dan"es! and he yells$ %ee#ing time! time! time! In a sort of &'ni" rhyme! To the #aean of the bells4 -f the bells4 %ee#ing time! time! time In a sort of &'ni" rhyme! To the throbbing of the bells -f the bells! bells! bells4 To the sobbing of the bells4 %ee#ing time! time! time! As he nells! nells! nells! In a ha##y &'ni" rhyme! To the rolling of the bells -f the bells! bells! bells To the tolling of the bells -f the bells! bells! bells! bells!

Bells! bells! bells! To the moaning and the groaning of the bells*