The Sleigh-Bells



'Tis merry to hear, at evening time,
    By the blazing hearth the sleigh-bells chime;
    To know the bounding steeds bring near
    The loved one to our bosoms dear.
    Ah, lightly we spring the fire to raise,
    Till the rafters glow with the ruddy blaze;
    Those merry sleigh-bells, our hearts keep time
    Responsive to their fairy chime.
   Ding-dong, ding-dong, o'er vale and hill,
  Their welcome notes are trembling still.

  'Tis he, and blithely the gay bells sound,
  As his sleigh glides over the frozen ground;
  Hark! He has pass'd the dark pine wood,
  He crosses now the ice-bound flood,
  And hails the light at the open door
  That tells his toilsome journey's o'er.
  The merry sleigh-bells! My fond heart swells
  And trobs to hear the welcome bells;
  Ding-dong, ding-dong, o'er ice and snow,
  A voice of gladness, on they go.

  Our hut is small, and rude our cheer,
  But love has spread the banquet here;
  And childhood springs to be caress'd
  By our beloved and welcome guest.
  With a smiling brow his tale he tells,
  The urchins ring the merry sleigh-bells;
  The merry sleigh-bells, with shout and song
  They drag the noisy string along;
  Ding-dong, ding-dong, the father's come
  The gay bells ring his welcome home.

  From the cedar swamp the gaunt wolves howl,
  From the oak loud whoops the felon owl;
  The snow-storm sweeps in thunder past,
  The forest creaks beneath the blast;
  No more I list, with boding fear,
  The sleigh-bells distant chime to hear.
  The merry sleigh-bells with soothing power
  Shed gladness on the evening hour.
  Ding-dong, ding-dong, what rapture swells
  The music of those joyous bells!

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:23 min read
31

Quick analysis:

Scheme AABBCCAADD EEXXXFGGHH BIJJGGKKXX LLMMBIFFGG
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 1,670
Words 271
Stanzas 4
Stanza Lengths 10, 10, 10, 10

Susanna Strickland Moodie

Susanna Moodie was an English-born Canadian author who wrote about her experiences as a settler in Canada, which was a British colony at the time. more…

All Susanna Strickland Moodie poems | Susanna Strickland Moodie Books

0 fans

Discuss the poem The Sleigh-Bells with the community...

0 Comments

    Translation

    Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "The Sleigh-Bells" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/35849/the-sleigh-bells>.

    Become a member!

    Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

    March 2024

    Poetry Contest

    Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
    2
    days
    22
    hours
    25
    minutes

    Special Program

    Earn Rewards!

    Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

    Browse Poetry.com

    Quiz

    Are you a poetry master?

    »
    Which famous poet wrote the epic poem "Paradise Lost"?
    A John Milton
    B Samuel Taylor Coleridge
    C John Keats
    D William Wordsworth