The Liberty Bell

Wallace, William Ross, 1819-1881Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.2

Word count: 3.3K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Liberty Bell by William Ross WallaceAuthor: Wallace, William Ross, 1819-1881,Language: English, Class: PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature, Release Date: Apr 24, 2014

Editor's review

This is the Project Gutenberg electronic text of "The Liberty Bell" by the American poet William Ross Wallace (1819–1881), catalogued under American and Canadian literature. As one of the earliest projects to offer free ebooks, Project Gutenberg makes its editions easy to read and search on any device, and this text serves well as an introduction to nineteenth-century American poetry. Readers can observe the diction, meter, and treatment of public themes in the poetry of the period, and may also use it as supplementary material in English language and literature courses. Because it is a public-domain ebook, the text contains no modern annotations or introduction, so readers must supply the historical background themselves. Overall, this is a lightweight, convenient documentary edition whose value lies in the availability of the original text rather than in editorial work.

Who it's for

A good fit for

English majors studying nineteenth-century American poetry and the public-speaking tradition
Teachers who need public-domain English poetry texts for classroom or translation practice
General readers who enjoy reading early American literature in the original

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers seeking detailed annotations, introductions, and background analysis
Readers who prefer contemporary fiction or strongly plot-driven narratives
Readers who need a Chinese translation and cannot read the English original

Reading tips

Read through once to feel the rhythm and diction, then look up the historical figures and events mentioned in the poem.
Read alongside nineteenth-century American historical sources to understand the symbolic meaning of the Liberty Bell.
Read the poem aloud, paying attention to rhyme and meter, to appreciate its character as a poem for public recitation.
For translation practice, try translating it yourself first, then compare with the Chinese translation styles of poetry from the same period.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a complete full-length work?

"The Liberty Bell" is a poem by William Ross Wallace, a short poetic text rather than a full-length novel. Project Gutenberg provides the public-domain electronic text of this work; it is short and can be read in one sitting or reread closely.

What language level is needed to read this book?

The original is in English, in the language of nineteenth-century poetry, whose syntax and diction differ from modern English. A college-level reading ability in English is enough to read it through; for historical allusions, use reference works or background materials.

Does the Gutenberg edition include annotations and an introduction?

Project Gutenberg mainly provides electronic texts of public-domain works and generally does not include modern editorial annotations, introductions, or scholarly appendices. Readers who need background analysis should consult literary histories and historical sources separately.

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About the author

Wallace, William Ross, 1819-1881 Author · American · 1819–1881

William Ross Wallace (1819–1881) was an American poet. Public information about his life is limited, and only one of his works is held in this collection, The Liberty Bell. He is best known for the line "The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world," which succinctly expresses the profound influence of mothers and the family on the world. Gentle yet powerful in tone, the line has become widely circulated and is frequently quoted in the English-speaking world. His writing is marked by lyrical and aphoristic expression, using concise imagery to convey thoughts on family, maternal love, and responsibility. Although his reputation rests largely on this single famous line, the emotional force and moral meaning of his work still hold a place in the popular tradition of American poetry.