Anna Seward in Lichfield - 31 December, 1797, at night

from Letter from Anna Seward to David Samwell, Esq., 31 December 1797, page 37:

The bells are ringing out the old year—an ancient but very unfeeling custom. It seems like revelling over the grave of a just departed friend; and my heart recoils at the sound. The horizon disdains congeniality to such ingratitude;—its early darkness, its loud sighs, and its tears, pay a different tribute.—Why not reserve it to usher in to-morrow’s dawn, with gladness that would not then, as now, have been unfeelingly anticipated? The sounds of clanging triumph may welcome, without reproach, the new-born year; and may it eventually prove worthy of …   more >>

cite as

Anna Seward, Letter from Anna Seward to David Samwell, Esq., 31 December 1797. In Archibald Constable (ed.), Letters of Anna Seward: Written Between the Years 1784 and 1807, volume 5 (Edinburgh, 1811), p. 37. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1535809505267 accessed: 2 December, 2024

location of experience: Lichfield

Listeners

Anna Seward
Poet, Writer
1742-1809

Listening to

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Church bells

Experience Information

Date/Time 31 December, 1797, at night
Medium live
Listening Environment in private, indoors

Originally submitted by lcc5 on Sat, 01 Sep 2018 14:45:06 +0100
Approved on Fri, 07 Sep 2018 12:50:19 +0100