"I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" was writ
ten on December 25, 1863, when the American Civil War was at its height. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), the famous American poet, was saddened by the horrors of this conflict, for "hate seemed overstrong at the moment." His son, who was serving as a lieutenant in the Union Army at the time, had just been wounded.
When Longfellow heard the Christmas bells ringing, he came to the realization, from the depths of his despair, that "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep." He believed that God was powerful enough to overcome the world's strife, and that one day He would bring peace and good will to earth.
The cruel miseries caused by the American Civil War caused great distress for the poet, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. With heaviness of heart he put his thoughts into words to create what we know as a Christmas Carol. He was the most influential American poet of his day and the words of this poem brought fresh courage and renewed faith to many of his countrymen. The last words of the refrain are from the words of the angels to the shepherds in the birth narrative from Luke 2:13-14. He wrote the poem on December 25th 1864 for the Sunday school class at the Unitarian Church of the Disciples in Boston, Massachusetts. Though a member of the Unitarian church, Longfellow maintained an individual strong belief in God’s goodness and personal concern for His people.
The carol was originally a poem, "Christmas Bells," containing seven stanzas. Two stanzas (4 & 5) were omitted, which contained references to the American Civil War, thus giving us the carol in its present form. The poem gave birth to the carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day," and the remaining five stanzas were slightly rearranged in 1872 by John Baptiste Calkin (1827-1905), who also gave us the memorable tune. When Longfellow penned the words to his poem, America was still months away from Lee's surrender to Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9th 1865; and, his poem reflected the prior years of the war's despair, while ending with a confident hope of triumphant peace.
Written at a time of turmoil the song fits well into any Christmas season, for unrest is part of our world until Jesus returns. Following is the original poem, complete with all seven stanzas.
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!
And 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!
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!
Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
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!"
Truth in this poem came from passages like, Psalm 42:5; Psalm 147:11; Psalm 121:4; and Jeremiah 4:2.
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild 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 roll'd along th' unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bow'd 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."
'Til 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!
follow link to listen to narration...
