I believe that back when the church was the center of English village life, they would ring the low bell when someone died. Being a village, you'd know when som

I believe that back when the church was the center of English village life, they would ring the low bell when someone died. Being a village, you'd know when someone was ill. The bell was audible throughout the village, and probably to most of the surrounding fields, so having seen them struggle through their sickness, you'd know who had just died. Anything, words included, that could metaphorically convey that the death-struggle was now finished. (Ironically, though, the death knell of things like companies is usually sounded before they are actually dead, and rather when the company is ill but the writer thinks that death is inevitable.) Although I don't like "spell a death knell" because the rhyme has an awkward rhythm, and it would be better to "sound" the knell.