Happy New Year

We often quote a verse from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Ring Out Wild Bells” when we write our annual New Year’s editorial

But we have to admit that we had not read the poem in its entirety for quite a while. So when we came upon it while thinking about an editorial for this week’s Sun Transcript, we felt it might be nice to reprint it in its entirety. Although it was published in 1850,  the thoughts expressed in it are timeless. Indeed, one could apply every stanza to something going on in the world today.  (For example, consider the last two lines of the third stanza for which a Tea Party member might label Tennyson a Socialist!)

So we hope you take the time to read it and enjoy it, as we did the other day.

Ring Out Wild Bells

By Alfred Lord Tennyson

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 thy 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.

While here in Winthrop….

As we move on from the Blizzard of 2010, we want to wish all of our residents a happy and healthy New Year. There are many fiscal challenges ahead for our town, but with Town Manager James McKenna, who has proven himself to be an outstanding administrator, and Town Council President Jeffrey Turco and the members of our Town Council leading the way, we feel Winthrop is in good hands and the future will be bright and prosperous.

So here’s a toast to our proud town and the residents who make it the special place that is.

Happy New Year to all of our readers.