Word Choice And Sound Devices In The Bells By Edgar Allen Poe

In Edgar Allen Poe’s poem, “The Bells,” he uses word choice and sound devices that reflect the individual, suggesting that people interpret their surroundings based on their mood. In the first stanza of “The Bells”, the use of alliteration causes the individual to experience delight. Poe writes about silver bells whose sound can cause a merry mood. The bells tinkle while the stars in the sky shine “With a crystalline delight” (Poe). The alliteration of the words crystalline and delight gives off a bright feeling. It shows how the stars are twinkling with joyfulness while the bells are tinkling. The individual in the poem associates the sound of the bells with happiness. When he hears them, he starts to have a happy mood and he imagines looking