For Whom the Bells Toll

[navi t]

For Whom the Bells Toll

What does this mean exactly?

Those for whom the bells toll
For those for whom the bells toll
For whom do the bells toll?

I think it is the last one, but then why isn't it in the interrogative? Is it archaic?

[Yankee]

Hi navi t

No, I wouldn't understand "For Whom the Bells Toll" to be interrogative. I would consider your first alternative the best.

To make it interrogative, you could say:
"For whom do the bells toll?"

One way I can think of to make it interrogative without adding the word "do" after "whom" could be:
"Do you know for whom the bells toll?"

Amy

[Alan]

Hi navi t,

For whom the bell tolls means the person who has died for whom the bell is ringing (tolling).

This line comes from a sermon written by the 17th century poet and writer, John Donne. I have put the line in context below. It means in the very simplest way that we all depend on one another and are all affected by the actions of others. There are words in it that are not used today thy (your) thee (you) thine (yours).

No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Adverbs

[navi t]

With the 'know' before 'for whom the bell tolls' the meaning becomes clear.

I didn't know it was from a poem, and obviously I didn't know the poem. I think the poem is truly great! What it says is true too!

[Tamara]

Hi, navi t,
There is also a novel by Ernest Hemingway 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' that, as far as I can remember, has the above John Donne’s words 'therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls: it tolls for thee’ as the epigraph.
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It’s impossible to learn swimming without entering the water…

[Tom]

My dear Amy/ Alan

Can you kindly re-write these lines in simple English?

"If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were."

A lot of thanks
Tom

[Conchita]