“Ring Out, Wild Bells” is a poem written by Alfred, Lord Tennyson in the year of 1850, when he was appointed by Queen Victoria as England’s Poet Laureate. It was customary at the time to ring bells at full circle, a full arc, to mark the passing of the year. At the time of this writing, Tennyson was grieving the loss of his friend and his sister’s fiancé, who died at age 22. It is said that he was lodging near the Waltham Abbey Church, and on a windy night, overheard the wild sound of the bells.
What seemed meaningful to me was not only the image of the wild bells ringing out the old on a frosty night, across the snow, but the deeper significance of ringing in truth, light, peace and the “common love of good.”
Throughout this past year of shepherding weekly Voices of Spirit, that has been a striking theme, the invincible power of love.
P. Raymond Audibert, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ring Out, Wild Bells
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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.
