In criticisms of this poem, it is often said that there is no story, it is merely an experiment in re-creating pure sound in word-form. But I'm not so sure, I always saw in it a tragic story of lost love, something Poe excelled at. Two young people meet at a Christmas party, and they fall in love, happy and light-hearted as tinkling, silver bells on a merry Winter evening. Soon, they get married, and their love blossoms and matures, into something more mellow, but deeper, richer, more lasting, shining like the golden bells that ring at their wedding. But then tragedy strikes, perhaps their new home catches on fire, and the ringing of brazen alarum bells fills the night, great and high and clashing wildly, like the red and yellow flames that consume the household and the life within. Finally, one is killed in the consummation, and misery falls upon the other, heavy and bleak like the tolling of the iron funeral bells, crushing the merriment which once rang so joyfully in their heart.

@jomic9060

8 жыл бұрын

+Mad Hatter i always took the bells as pertaining to ones life. how they perceive the sounds of the different sounding bells in their life from youth till death. just an opinion

Edgar Allan Poe... It's so hard to find good poets in the English language, this guy is one of the few I really admire, he was absolutely amazing, everything he wrote was just so mesmerizing...

@HrvojeSL

6 жыл бұрын

Empyriummann My favorite american poet and writer. a man of unmatched genius among american literary figures.

this is scary

This is the best reading I've heard of The Bells by Poe. The voice is just right for the content of the poem, and this recording really reflects the rhythm and smoothness of the poem itself. Great job!

And to think that my eighth grade English teacher wanted us to do a parody of this poem ... eighth graders! Not to many of us did so successfully. I didn't. Such a haunting poem.

Great voice, especially with the emphasis on "bells"

I am preparing to do a read of this poem myself soon, and in the past few days have listened to literally dozens of different readings of it on KZread, and I can say without the slightest hesitation that this is by far the best I have come across. Awesome poem, and outstanding dramatic interpretation thereof. Very well done!

Your voice was perfect for the Iron bells.

A fantastic reading. the emotional level is kept contained, but not so much as to affect the meter and feeling of the poem. If I were to recite this poem, i would vary between a cooing, soothing whisper, to a mad scream, all the while speaking faster and faster, as the meter increased. But SpokenVerse would make my performance look maudlin and over-sentimental. He is marvelously contained!

+Mad hatter It's not just about music, it's also about death keeping time as we get married and go to war. "he dances and he yells, keeping time, time, time. in a sort of Runic rhyme, to the paean of the bells, of the bells." Runic means mysterious, as runes appeared to be mystical codes to most people. The anthropomorphic Death is part of a time-keeping theme in another of Poe's poems, the Masque of the Red Death. The same theme also occurs in the Pit and the Pendulum but without the presence of an anthropomorphic Death.

Oh my. That was absolutely breath-taking. This is one of my favorite Poe poems, first hearing it in the 8th grade. Listening to this reading, I got chills all over. I've tried reading this in front of classes with little success in the emotion needed. Wonderful voice, my good sir.

How odd to finally manage to recall your channel's name after hunting down this poem (new account, I'm reconstructing my subscription list from memory), and to find the first comment is one I posted three years ago. What a compliment to think other people felt my words expressed their own appreciation. Time has mellowed the memory of your talent. Hearing you again brings it back into sharp focus. I'm glad I found you again. - Bette

Bravo! This is just about how I hear it in my head when I read it. Thank you for catching the cadence, and not trying to "dramatize" it by putting in egregious pauses in the "bells, bells, bells" sections.

How many bells was that.

Very well done. You have a marvelous sonorous voice and your way of reading it is very satisfying.

That's actually rather the point. In creating this poem, Pow's intent was to perfectly imitate the sound of tolling bells; no message, no story, just pure, undiluted poetry, conveying sound and sensation.

Thank you for this impressive reading of a most uncanny poem.

Well done!!!! That was oppressive and eerie.

Exquisite reading! Thank you!

Thank you! My students will love hearing this rendition. Your voice follows the changes in mood and meaning and helps the listener understand each type of belling occasion. Your bells, bells, bells are reverberating in my ears. Bravo!

My teacher said listen to this and find a onomatopoeic word

That's how I hear it as well... In my mind it starts out light and subtly sarcastic and gets increasingly more annoying until it reaches the drive-you-insane point after which it turns into dark, insightful intensity.

Hermoso poema!!!!

Thank you very much, well done Bravo!

My favorite poem!!! It's haunting.

Good reading

Anyone get reminded of this poem from Game of Thrones tonight?

Wow, this is amazing. Well done!

I am filled with the emotions the reading of this poem has released.

Totally agree, for me it's like the rush of a storm.

Great! Wonderful!

Was lead here by a song version of this. It's intriguing, but I don't think I've developed myself to truly appreciate it, but I enjoyed it.

I agree 100% that everything was well done, the repeated words were, of course to be interpreted and difficult to understand the emotions behind them. have you read it again recently? perhaps if you read it again, your interpretation would be different if you did it again. @spokenverse id love to see what you came up with.

just wow

Haunting. :)

amazing, me and my friend doing this one and I read it the same rhythem like you did

This is honestly the best version I found online! let the poem do the work, whats the point of turning something like this into a song like many did?

We are doing this for my theater project Edgar is my favorite poet!

I have to read this in front of an audience for my school play. Thankfully your speeches will give me a better idea on how I need to annunciate. You have a great voice sir :)

This will be a great help on my school project

I liked it! 5 starts :)!

великолепно!

I love your handling of the repetition. Have you thought of doing Poe's Ulalume?

This was Quasimodos favourite poem.