The bells by edgar allan poe7/6/2023 ![]() ![]() Here’s a hint about the poem’s meaning: It’s not about the bells. When you read the poem, start with your voice up high for the jingling bells and end with your voice very low and deep with the bad-news iron bells. The word “brazen” has a long “a” sound coupled with a harsh “z.” It sounds like alarming. That’s called assonance: using the same vowel sound inside neighboring words. Notice how the phrase “mellow wedding bells” even sounds soft and mellow because Poe chose short “e” sounds in those words. ![]() Then the bells sound even deeper: tolling iron bells that tell of bad news. This delightful poem moves from the high, jingling sound of silver bells to “mellow wedding bells” to “brazen” bells sounding an alarm. Now it’s your turn: Read Poe’s poem “The Bells” out loud. You’ll see that he was very successful in his poem “The Bells,” which is rich with writer’s devices. In an essay, Poe explained how he was very careful to choose just the right words for how they sound and for the effect he was trying to achieve. He’s famous for his short stories and for poems like “The Raven.” (You know, that “Nevermore” poem.) ![]() Though that is over 200 years ago, we still read his work today. Edgar Allan Poe was born January 19, 1809. ![]()
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