# A poem for New Year (by Tennyson)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 31, 2018, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970 "2018-12-31T07:19:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970/1 "2018-12-31T07:19:44Z")

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[INDENT] **In Memoriam A.H.H.**

_by Alfred Tennyson_  
CVI

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,  
The flying cloud, the frosty light:  
The year is dying in the night;  
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,  
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:  
The year is going, let him go;  
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind,  
For those that here we see no more;  
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,  
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,  
And ancient forms of party strife;  
Ring in the nobler modes of life,  
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,  
The faithless coldness of the times;  
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes,  
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,  
The civic slander and the spite;  
Ring in the love of truth and right,  
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;  
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;  
Ring out the thousand wars of old,  
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,  
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;  
Ring out the darkness of the land,  
Ring in the Christ that is to be.[/INDENT]  
Everything that applied in 1849 still applies today… but things _have_ improved since 1849, and will hopefully continue to do so when we look at the bigger picture.

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970/2 "2018-12-31T19:16:35Z")

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You know, this is not just a poem, but a song.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2018, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970/3 "2018-12-31T19:25:37Z")

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[Ding dong, ding dong](https://youtu.be/SrXswIbWA7Y)

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**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-new-year-by-tennyson/826970/4 "2019-01-02T03:04:00Z")

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I love that; thank you for posting it.