Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803 - 1882 / Boston / United States)

I Love the imagery in this poem!

Maybe he just wanted the poem to ring out and resonate in two or more ways like it did for him. I think he accomplished that.

I agree with Juan Olivarez, this poem at no point within any stanza, expresses a specific religious doctrine.

This is a personalized interaction with God which atheists have outlawed from the school system and all public buildings in too many places. This is a For whom the bell tolls a poem (No man is an island) by John Donne style poem, though more simply expressed. The poem contemplates death, I love thine iron chime, / To life or death, to heaven or hell, from the first stanza, And soon thy music, sad death-bell, / Shall lift its notes once more, / And mix my requiem with the wind to the last stanza; in contemplation of life and death.

An intolerance of bells when others mourn the loss of loved ones in death is sad. Personally I love cultural diversity, which extended to the beauty of the call to prayer in beautiful mosques in Istanbul, especially those built in the Ottoman period. A little religious tolerance goes a long way, and the beauty of the lines within 'The Bell', demands more focus and analysis. Read the poem a few times, it is beautiful to reflect upon.

The poem was written at a very precise point in time when religion was more important to most people than now. If you take it out of its historical context and rag it only because of its Christian virtue you lose the sense of the poem. Like all good poems it still has resonance today and is written damn well! ! ! !

Strangely, I agree with Michael. But only a bit. It is good to have things back to normal. Thank you Lord.

OK, so there may be some religious symbolism, and avoiding mention of the poet's probable intent, as Olivarez does, only panders to the ravings of Straw who does go on about ANY poem with even a hint of a faith-based viewpoint. Run a really religious poem on this site by an ordained priest like Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ (Society of Jesus!) , and the village atheist in readers like Straw will erupt in volcanic rage! There is a point at which one must defer to a poet's beliefs and shun the politically correct view that holds ALL mention of GOD an outrage against good common sense. For Christ's sake, relax and read the poem or don't, but please spare us the wagging finger and the diatribe against the divine.

I for one don't see this as a poem based on a particular religious view. I see it as the story of a bell, and all the endeavors it calls men to. After all each man writes about his own religion, that is a given.

This was an extremely one-sided poem based on a particular religious view. So far as the artistic skill of Emerson was concerned, it was at its peak in the poem. After all he was a great poet.

This is a good poem, simple diction, easy to comprehend. It merits a supposing joy you experience after death, with words like 'charms his cares to sleep' 'heaven joys' but the end the poem, the poet introduces terror by the wind which will sweep him to his final destination, death

So under your criterion, if a poem uses imagery it is not 'poetry at its best' because the blind will not appreciate it?

And poets who write about the black condition are not good poets because most people are not black?

As a side note Emerson's religious views are in the extreme minority of Christianity and that has not stopped generations of Christians and many others from recognizing the fundamental human experiences of death and mourning in this poem.