Mr. Write's Page

In 1850, Alfred, Lord Tennyson was named Poet Laureate of Great Britain. That same year, he published “In Memoriam A.H.H.,” a poem he had worked on for 17 years. It was a lengthy tribute to his childhood friend Arthur Henry Hallam, who was engaged to Tennyson’s sister, but died at age 22 of a cerebral hemorrhage.

One section of that work (the whole thing is 131 sections long) is often published on its own, under the name “Ring Out, Wild Bells.”

Reportedly, Tennyson was inspired to write the section while staying outside of London in the village of Waltham, not far from the Abbey Church. During the night, the high winds of a raging storm caused the church bells to ring repeatedly.

That back-story is a bit melancholy, but the poem is rousing, inspiring, and certainly appropriate to ring in the new year. In Sweden, “Ring Out, Wild Bells” is recited each year at the national New Year’s Eve celebration, a tradition dating back to 1897.

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 thy 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.

— Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892), 1st Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater

Fine sentiments, but we all know it won’t happen. Maybe Lord T. was being sarcastic.

Humanity isn’t exactly a noble species, but dammit, that doesn’t prevent us from showing some class individually. Here’s to ringing out the false and ringing in the true. Happy 2015.