In the eighth line we have "bells" seven times repeated in all--bells
being taken in their utmost generality, viz., _musical_ action. But in
the ninth or last line we have the very specific action of the bells, to
wit: "From the _jingling_ and the _tinkling_ of the bells." We can make
a short analysis, which is always better than unthinking repetition, as:
1. From the bells. 2. From the _jingling_ of the bells. 3. From the
jingling _and the tinkling_ of the bells. The seventh, eighth, and ninth
lines are as follows:
7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells--
9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.
Having already learned the first six lines, we have but to preface these
last three by the previous six, and we have the first stanza as
follows:--
1. Hear the sledges with the bells--silver bells--
2. What a world of merriment their melody foretells!
3. How they tinkle, tinkle, tinkle in the icy air of night!
4. While the stars that oversprinkle
5. All the heavens, seem to twinkle with a crystalline delight;
6. Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme,
7. To the tintinnabulation that so musically wells
8. From the bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells, bells--
9. From the jingling and the tinkling of the bells.
In a similar manner, the pupil can memorise the three remaining stanzas.
Having heretofore learned the order of the four different kinds of
bells, and having dealt with the first or "silver" bells, we know that
the next or second stanza is concerned with the "golden" bells.
Similarly, when we finish the second stanza, we know that the third
stanza deals with the "brazen" bells, and the last with the "iron"
bells.
No further hints need be offered except perhaps in regard to the last
ten lines of the last stanza.
Notice the coincidences, the resemblances, or Inclusions, the
Exclusions, and the Concurrences. "Keeping time, time, time, in a sort
of Runic rhyme," occurs three times--but on the third appearance of that
phrase, there is a change which must be observed; for it bears this
form: "Keeping time, time, time, _as he knells, knells, knells, in a
happy_ Runic rhyme." But the main difficulty with most students seems to
be to remember _the number of times_ the word "bells" is repeated in the
different lines. We must keep to the text and not resort to any foreign
matter to help the feeble memory. The words _paean_, _throbbing_,
_sobbing_, _rolling_ and _tolling_ occur in the lines where the "bells"
are mentioned (except in that next to the last line, where "bells"
occurs three times, and there is no other word in that line), and in the
last line "bells" is found once, and the words "moaning" and "groaning"
appear. Memorise these seven words by Analysis, to wit: paean, throbbing,
sobbing, rolling, tolling, moaning and groaning. Thus _paean_--a song of
triumph--might cause heart _throbbing_, an inward act accompanied in the
present instance by _sobbing_, and this outward manifestation of grief
would be intensified by the _rolling_ of the bells and their _tolling_.
_Moaning_ and _groaning_ are figurative expressions for the moaning and
groaning of the mourners.
Now the figures 2, 4, 1, 4, 8, 1 (easily learned by analysis as 2, 4, 1
and 4, 8, 1, or 2, 4 with 1 following, and 4, 8, with 1 following, or 2,
4 with 1 following, and [double 2, 4] 4, 8 and 1 following) give the
_number of times_ the word "bells" occurs in connection with the words
just learned. Opposite the line where _tolling_ occurs we have marked 8,
since "bells" occurs in that line five times and three times in the
next line, where no other word is found.
Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme,
2. To the _paean_ of the bells--of the bells;
Keeping time, time, time, in a sort of Runic rhyme,
4. To the _throbbing_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells,
1. To the _sobbing_ of the bells; keeping time, time, time,
As he knells, knells, knells, in a happy Runic rhyme,
4. To the _rolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells,
8. To the _tolling_ of the bells, of the bells, bells, bells, bells,
Bells, bells, bells;
1. To the _moaning_ and the _groaning_ of the bells.
Carrying these suggestions to the text, they help fix the exact number
of times the word "bells" occurs in each line. There are other
legitimate ways to assist a poor memory to master these lines, but
whatever is done let no one ever think of resorting to the unthoughtive,
brainless process of endless repetition.
Poe's "Bells," being a difficult selection to learn, furnishes, as all
difficult selections do, numerous opportunities for applying Analysis to
fix the lines in memory. Hence it should be _mastered_ and often recited
by all who would learn to memorise poetry or prose, in, at the very
least, _one-fifth_ of the time required by the old mind-wandering
process of _rote_ learning.