Question

To which type of poetic structure is "The Bells" most similar?

A. free verse
B. lyric poetry
C. Japanese cinquain
D. Shakespearean sonnet

Answer 1

B. lyric poetry

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem "The Bells" presents a structure of lyrical poetry because the poet speaks directly to the reader, representing the feelings, state of mind and perceptions of him. The poem functions as a photograph, recording emotions and feelings of the "lyrical self," that is, the voice that manifests itself in the poem. This is one of the characteristics of a lyric poetry.

Another characteristic of lyric poetry, present in "The Bells" is that this poem is polysemic, that is, does not point to a meaning, but is a power of meanings. There is no true meaning to the poem, but proper readings in the face of its multiple meanings. Plurissignification is linked to the symbolic character, the ambiguity and the implicit meanings present in the literary text.

Answer 2

The structure of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Bells" is nowhere near a cinquain or Shakespearean sonnet, since those poetic forms have 5 and 14 lines respectively, while "The Bells" is much longer. The fact that it does not follow a strict verse form makes one think of free verse, but the correct answer is B. "The Bells" is a lyric poem, made up of stanzas and using constant rhyme, which one does not find very often in free verse. Not for nothing was it adapted musically by Sergei Rachmaninoff.