"Bells for John Whiteside's Daughter"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the poem, "Bells for John Whiteside's Daughter" by John Crowe Ransom. It focuses on the metaphors, smilies, dramatic situations, irony and theme of the poem. It further provides a thesis that the poem depicts death from the perspective of mourners who know that death will come to all human beings; yet it is difficult to comprehend when a child's life is considered.

From the Paper:

""Bells for John Whiteside's Daughter", by John Crowe Ransom relates the tale of a child that suddenly dies, and the mourners who are lost in recent memories of her playful life - unable to accept her departure. The poem is also a statement about what is expected in life, but what society does not anticipate with the passing of a child. Irony is evident throughout the work of Ransom. This is demonstrated in the final verse of the poem in which Ransom discusses that the mourners are "ready", in a matter-of-fact-manner, for the funeral to begin with the chiming of the bells (Ransom). The irony exists in the fact that the mourners appear to approach the little girl's funeral with a cold, lack of concern. "

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