When Bells Stop Ringing Church Begins

When Bells Stop Ringing Church Begins - meaning Summary

Paradox of Silence and Sound

This short poem asserts paradox: the end of ordinary signals brings their true presence. When bells stop ringing, church actually begins; silence reveals the institution’s essence. Likewise, when cogs cease, we reach circumference—the limit that defines a wheel. Dickinson suggests that cessation or absence can disclose meaning and boundaries more clearly than continued activity. The poem compresses this philosophical inversion into two paired images of sound and motion.