The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.
Surely the mind of man is closely bound
In some blind spell: seeing that each one tears
Himself from fireside joys and Lydian airs,
And converse high of those with glory crowned.
Keats is commenting on the nature of blind faith in the church. I was surprised to see this line (“the mind of man is closely bound/In some blind spell”), because Romantic poetry is not known for its social commentary. However, this does encompass the complex human emotions and psyche that are key components of the genre. It seems Keats may have once been inspired by this church scene, but now takes on a more pessimistic viewpoint.