Surprisingly, The Bells by Edgar Allen Poe was not teeming with pessimism. In the poem, a beautiful literary depiction of Christmas’ bells precedes Poe’s portrayal of wedding chimes. His optimistic tone is like a Christmas present in itself but of course, it just wouldn’t be like Poe to make his work solely all smiles and rainbows. In the poem’s last two stanzas, Poe provides melancholic descriptions of alarms as well as funeral bells.

Edgar Allen Poe’s sudden shifts in attitude throughout the poem demonstrate the message he wanted to communicate about change and life. As Poe described the same element (bells) in dissimilar circumstances (Christmas, marriage, death, etc.), he implied the certainty of change. He also suggested the very tangible stages in one’s existence. For a man who endured countless transitions in his own lifetime, Poe knew what he was talking about. He probably drew from personal emotions to convey feelings within The Bells. Poe did this creatively by using sounds and colors to express particular emotions.

“Change is inevitable. Change is constant.”
— Benjamin Disraeli

Feelings and perceptions change as a person grows in all aspects. People grow from unexpected change. The only thing that doesn’t change is the reality of change.