For Whom the Bell Tolls

American  

noun

1. a novel (1940) by Ernest Hemingway.

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for whom the bell tolls Cultural  

1. An expression from a sermon by John Donne. Donne says that because we are all part of mankind, any person's death is a loss to all of us: “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.” The line also suggests that we all will die: the bell will toll for each one of us. (See No man is an island.)

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The twentieth-century American author Ernest Hemingway named a novel For Whom the Bell Tolls; the book is set during the Spanish Civil War.

Example Sentences

Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls provides a good idea of the difference in prices.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2018

The new documentary "John McCain: For Whom the Bell Tolls" paints an intimate portrait of the former Navy pilot and POW and current U.S. senator.

From Los Angeles Times • May 25, 2018

When Ernest Hemingway’s now-classic novel For Whom the Bell Tolls was released, exactly 75 years ago on Wednesday, the author’s fans had some cause to tamp down their expectations.

From Time • Oct. 21, 2015

American writer Ernest Hemingway lived in Cuba on and off for years and worked on some of his most famous books here, including "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "The Old Man and the Sea."

From US News • Jul. 21, 2015

A heated discussion ensued, at the end of which Hairy kept For Whom the Bell Tolls, Four-Eyes took The Blonde in the Bathtub, and Hairy threw the rest away.

From Freudian Slip by Abel, Franklin