It does make sense, but I believe I fear it much more strongly than most others.

sidenote: I saw your profile and I memorized "The Bells" too! I memorize poetry that I really enjoy when I have the time (I know a bunch of Russian Poetry, Edgar Allan Poe,I even knew "The Raven" at some point)

Yes, poetry is great to memorize, but I have not found much recently that I have liked, so I have been forced to write my own.

But this year my english teacher was willing to give extra credit to anyone who could memorize the bells- she gave us 3 schooldays to do it in. I was the only one who was able to recite it word for word.

I did not memorize "Bells" for school, but I have memorized a few others for grades (My teachers were into that)...
Tell all the truth, but tell it slant...
Or, <i>We wear the mask that grins and lies...<i>
And I still can recite many of them.

so that was 2-3 months ago, but I still have it in my head. I find myself just reciting it to myself when I'm in a class where I have to at least pretend to pay attention.

Yes, I know how it feels. Spending class time help to reinforce it into ones mind; I memorized most of the poetry I know almost a year ago and I still know quite a bit of it.

anyway, what's your interpretation of "The Bells"?

I hate to interpret poetry after many years of doing it in English. I think too many English people just go too far in interpretation.

But as for how I visualize it... I think of it as the story of a lost paridise, like the Christain Eden or the world before Pandora. The first two verses seem so happy; life is perfect and great, no troubles, no problems. The alarum bells , an attack by evil, the troubles arriving with chaos, fire and death. The people cannot overcome thise problems and so bow down and suffer them, submitting to the sadness and cruelety shown in the fourth stanza.

I know many people interpret it as the story of a man's
life, but I'm proud to be different.


Ignator Asha'man

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.
-Isaac Asimov

The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills