I Heard the Bells

"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad."

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, heralded as America's poet of the mid-1850's, penned the poem "I Heard the Bells" on Christmas Day 1864. The three years leading up this day were filled with sorrow and grief as Wadsworth would lose his wife to a tragic accident and one of his under age son's would secretly enlist (against his father's wishes) in the military to fight in the Civil War.

On the day Henry's wife would die, so did the poetry within his heart and he simply chose to stop writing.

"There is no grief like the grief that does not speak."

Wadsworth's wife always had a unique fascination to the sounds of church bells when they rang and once suggested church bells were the voice of the church that delivered hope to those in need.

Surprisingly, and maybe even spiritually, those church bells would eventually bring back hope into their son Charlie, who enlisted in the army purely because of a lost hope in a God he declared was dead after seeing his mother tragically die in an unfortunate accident.

A couple of long years of sorrow, grief and pain within Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ended with the sounds of church bells ringing on Christmas Day, enlightening him to find a pen and write a poem that would eventually transpire into one of the most treasured, timeless Christmas Carol's of our lifetime, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.

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.

I 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.

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 pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor doth he sleep; The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, With 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!