Edgar Allan Poe's "The Bells"

This week's reading assignment is Edgar Allan Poe's "The Bells". This poem was written after a challenge from an elocutionist (someone who trained people to pronounce things well) to write a poem that had strong symbolic meaning AND was pleasing to the ear to hear read aloud. This poem is one of Poe's few that was meant to actually be read aloud. I hope you do so this week.

At class next week, you will be asked to compare the theme of this poem to that of "The Masque of the Red Death". So, make sure you read carefully. Also coming next week is your presentation teaching about a symbol from "The Masque of the Red Death". Please come prepared.