
Click here to listen to famous Shakespearean actor Basil Rathbone reads the poem.We totally recommend that you listen to a few versions of "The Bells" before reading it. "The Bells," like a lot of Poe's work, is a crazy sonic (sound) journey. You know how you can listen to a song tons of times, love the mood it creates, and have absolutely no idea what it's actually saying? That's because it's the sound that matters, not the words. And just like a song, you don't really have to know the lyrics to get a good feel for it. Just like a song, you need to hear "The Bells" out loud. "The Bells," in particular, is a lot closer to a song than, say, a story. In a way, poetry is just as close to music as it is to other kinds of literature. At the bottom, though, it's all about sound. Poetry is partly about perfect phrases and inspiring feelings. What is The Bells About and Why Should I Care?
