By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
For those of us who worry about the seeming absence of “peace on earth, goodwill to men” in this Christmas season, I rediscovered an old hymn recently that took my mind off the resurgent pandemic, tragic natural disasters, political hate speech, little wars underway and big wars looming like in the Ukraine.
American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow must have been having some of those feelings on Christmas Day in 1863 when he wrote the poem that became the song nine years later. His wife had been severely burned in a kitchen accident and their son had been seriously wounded in the Civil War.
At the beginning, his poem/song is positive and thoughtful as shown in the first two verses:
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth goodwill to men.
I thought how as the day had come
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along unbroken song
Of peace on earth goodwill to men.
But then the harsh realities of his life apparently pulled his spirits down and he lashed out in the third stanza:
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong that mocks the song
Of peace on earth goodwill to men.
But the sound of church bells playing and people singing lifted his spirits and he wrote hopefully in the fourth and fifth verses and finally with confidence in the last stanza:
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor doubt he sleeps
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth goodwill to men.
‘Til ringin’ singin’ on its way
The world revolve from night to day
A voice, a chime, a chance so blind,
On earth goodwill to men.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor doubt he sleeps.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth goodwill to men.
I encourage you to play or sing this Christmas carol as you celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace. We must never lose sight of the reason for this joyful season.
Keith Kappes can be reached at keithkappes@gmail.com
