What is the name of Poe's poem about bells?

The name of Poe’s poem about bells is “The Bells.” It is a highly musical poem that uses repetition, rhythm, and sound-imitating language to make readers hear different kinds of bells as the poem progresses.

The poem has four sections. It begins with the bright “jingling and tinkling” of silver bells, moves through the celebratory sound of golden wedding bells, darkens into the alarm of brazen bells, and ends with the mournful “moaning and groaning” of iron bells. This progression is often read as a movement through youth, maturity, fear, and death.

Poe likely wrote the poem in 1848, and it was published after his death in 1849. It is sometimes associated with bells heard near Fordham, where Poe lived. The poem is also known for popularizing attention to “tintinnabulation,” a word describing the ringing or tinkling of bells, though Poe did not invent the term.