Very few of us who are poetry fans do not recognize the name of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, America’s poet of the 19th century, but many people do not realize where his inspiration came from for his poem, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” I have often wandered why I am so inspired by the tolling of bells at any time of the year but particularly on Christmas Eve.  Their sweet tones welcome in the birth of Christ on Christmas day and represent hope for the new year to come.

For Longfellow, the poem’s origin was during the later part of the Civil War and the near-death of his older son in Virginia as he was serving with the Massachusetts Union Army.  Even before this tragic event, Henry’s life was plagued by the loss of his first wife in childbirth while the couple was touring Europe for a Harvard professorship post.  He began doubting his faith in God until he met his second wife; she encouraged him to regrow his faith based on the life God had given them in marriage and their beautiful family of five children.  Then one afternoon while Henry was sleeping, his wife’s dress caught on fire when a candle fell from a table onto her dress.  He awoke to her screams, tried to put the flames out, but it was to no avail.  She died, and he was left with a severely burnt face and hands.  Because of his pain, he stopped writing from 1861 until 1863.  During this time, his faith died completely, and he became very angry towards God and a reclusive life followed.

The bells ringing on Christmas Eve was important to Henry’s second wife because she refused to let her family begin celebrating Christmas until they heard the bells chiming from the local church steeple.  Once that had occurred, the whole house was filled with music, laughter, and the joy of opening gifts.  The bells represented hope to her; however, once she died, Henry refused to hear them for two years, as well as depriving his family from the joy they once brought.  The once happy family was shrouded in pain and darkness.  His oldest son needed to escape that dark atmosphere so he could serve in the Union army, something his father disapproved of.   The possibility of death hovered over the family once again.  When his wounded son returned home and survived, Henry began to hear the hope of the bells once more as he remembered the great faith of his deceased wife.

Henry’s story caused a moment of pause for me because I suddenly realized why the bells have always been special for me.  I’ve lost three husbands, and every Christmas Eve causes memories to surface, some happy, some sad.  Then I remind myself of the hope the bells echo out into the world.  Every so often, the same anger and feelings of loss like Henry’s have entered my thoughts.  The peeling of the bells represents the peace we can have in our hearts when we fully commit to our faith in God.  He will see us through all things in life when we love Him with all our hearts.  To hear the hope and peace of the tolling bells, I offer Longfellow’s Christmas poem in the hope that you, too, will hear their sweet, beautiful notes of love.

I heard the bells on Christmas Day

Their old, familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth

The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent

The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;

“There is no peace on earth,” I said;

“For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Then peeled the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth Her sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men!

                               (The Complete Poetical Works of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Cutchogue, NY: Buccaneer Books, Inc., 1993), 289.)

Anna Hartt