Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, BELLS, by JANET HAMILTON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

BELLS, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Blest sabbath bells! Blest sabbath bells!
Last Line: "in guilt and gloom!"
Alternate Author Name(s): Hamilton, Janet Thompson
Subject(s): Bells; Life


BLEST Sabbath bells! blest Sabbath bells!
My heart with solemn rapture swells;
I come! I come! how blessed there,
How joyful in the house of prayer
The anthem swells!

'Tis Christmas tide; ring, blessed bells!
The angels' song your anthem swells—
"To us this day a Child is given:
A Saviour born, the Christ from heaven!"
Ring, blessed bells!

Glad marriage bells! glad marriage bells!
Ring out—your joyous music tells
That love and beauty, hand in hand,
Before the holy altar stand
Their vows to tell.

Your merry chimes ring, jocund bells!
A father's heart exulting swells,
A mother's arms embrace her boy,
The heir is born—ring out the joy,
Each chiming bell!

Sad passing bell! sad passing bell!
Sad hearts bereaved will throb and swell!
Ring out a knell, some dear one's dead,
The clay is cold, the spirit fled,
Ring out the knell!

Toll, slowly toll, sad funeral bell!
We bring the dead in earth to dwell—
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust,
We give till God shall call the just;
Cease, tolling bell!

Peal, peal, ye loud, triumphant bells!
For victory peal—the tumult swells;
The reeling air is stunned and thrilled,
Peal, loudly peal for thousands killed?
Say, is it well?

O pealing bells! O pealing bells!
With pity, grief, and horror swells
My heart, when pealing from afar
I hear the tocsin bell of war,
And carnage fell.

Ring out, ring out! O warning bell!
At morn upon the waters fell
A blinding fog, ring out and tell
Of danger near: they pass; all's well!
Still sailing on.

O warning bell! mute was thy tongue
When o'er the dark waves wildly rung
A crash—a shriek of wild despair;
Two vessels met, but one is there
Alone, alone!

Placed on a rock, a warning bell
Rung out when ocean winds would swell,
Warning the sailor from the rock,
Where else his ship with deadly shock
Would meet her doom.

A warning voice, a warning bell,
O'er life's tumultuous ocean swell,
Peals high above the breakers' roar,
"Turn, turn, or sink for evermore
In guilt and gloom!"





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