Christmas Poetry Reading - Ring Out Wild Bells (by Alfred Tennyson)

791

3.527

Published on Dec 23, 2022

About :

I have a tradition of selecting and creating a video reading of a famous poem at Christmas.

This year I’d like to share Ring Out Wild Bells by Alfred Tennyson, which I chose for its uplifting theme of redemption.

Although Tennyson was describing a religious redemption, and return to Christ, I find this poem ultimately profound in the context of our modern day society. Lines such as “Ring out the narrowing lust of gold” and “Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace” speak to a universal hope for humankind. Even outside of a religious context, these hopes hold true.

This is the power of Tennyson’s Christmas poem – to remind us of those truths eternal.

Ring Out, Wild Bells is part of Tennyson’s long elegy ‘In Memoriam’, which was published in 1850. This poem pretty much concludes Alfred Tennyson‘s elegy for his friend Arthur Henry Hallam, who died suddenly in 1833.

The poem encompasses themes of redemption and rebirth, reminding us of the new life that springs forth from the shadow of dying. In more immediate terms this poem shows the poet regaining his faith and overcoming his grief when hearing the bells ringing in Christmas Day.

Ring Out, Wild Bells

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Source: poets.org

Creative Commons Licence Resources used to create this video:

Video by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/video/hands-festival-party-music-4440821/
Video by SwissHumanity Stories: https://www.pexels.com/video/footage-of-the-sunset-and-the-tower-of-the-church-3718052/
Video by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/video/hands-festival-party-music-4440825/
Video by Michael Bradley: https://www.pexels.com/video/video-of-a-stained-glass-art-8787194/
Video by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/video/stenciled-shadow-of-words-on-a-board-projecting-in-a-wall-3831767/
Video by Amar Preciado from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/video/soldiers-of-special-forces-13721791/
Video by StefWithAnF: https://www.pexels.com/video/close-up-view-of-crystals-jewels-and-gold-6208744/
Creative Commons Music by Daniel Birch: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Daniel_Birch/Ambient_Bells/Glacier_Bells/

Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/bell-jar-gold-golden-ring-1015468/

Image by Gerhard Janson: https://pixabay.com/photos/bells-chains-isolated-christmas-2988754/

Image by Gerd Altmann: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/christmas-stars-ice-crystal-935458/

Tags :

poetry poem christmas creative gems videopoetryreading ocd creativecoin teamuk

Comments:

Reply:

To comment on this video please connect a HIVE account to your profile: Connect HIVE Account