ANNABEL LEE
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
• Poe was born in Boston on Jan. 19, 1809, the son of
professional actors. By the time he was 3, Edgar, his
older brother, and younger sister had lost their mother
and their father deserted them. The children were split
up, going to various families to live. Edgar went to the
charitable Richmond, Virginia, home of John and
Frances Allan, whose name Poe was to take later as his
own middle name.
• Poe attended the University of Virginia (1826-27), but
was expelled for not paying his gambling debts. This led
to quarrel with Allan, who refused to pay the debts.
• Allan later disowned him. In 1826 Poe became engaged
to Elmira Royster, but her parents broke off the
engagement. During his stay at the university, Poe
composed some tales, but little is known of his
apprentice works. In 1827 Poe joined the U.S. Army as a
common soldier under assumed name, Edgar A. Perry.
• He was dishonorably discharged next year, for intentional
neglect of his duties – apparently as a result of his own
determination to be released.
• In 1836 Poe married his 13-year-old cousin Virginia Clemm.
She bust a blood vessel in 1842, and remained a virtual invalid
until her death from tuberculosis five years later.
• After the death of his wife, Poe began to lose his struggle with
drinking and drugs.
• To Virginia he addressed the famous poem 'Annabel Lee'
(1849) – its subject, Poe's favorite, is the death of a beautiful
woman.
• The death of Edgar Allan Poe on October 7, 1849, has
remained mysterious: the circumstances leading up to it are
uncertain and the cause of death is disputed. On October 3,
Poe was found delirious on the streets of Baltimore,
Maryland, "in great distress, and ... in need of immediate
assistance“
• He was taken to the Washington College Hospital, where he
died at 5 a.m. on Sunday, October 7. Poe was never coherent
enough to explain how he came to be in this condition.
• All medical records and documents, including Poe's death
certificate, have been lost, if they ever existed. The precise
cause of Poe's death is disputed, but many theories exist.
Analyzing "Annabel Lee" by Poe
Analyzing "Annabel Lee" by Poe requires a look into the life and
other works of Poe.
• All the women in Poe's life died young, including his mother,
sister, and wife.
• Poe married his 13-year old cousin in 1833. She burst a blood
vessel nine years later and remained an invalid until her death
in 1847. Virginia's death devastated Poe, who continued to
abuse alcohol and drugs until his death in 1849.
• "Annabel Lee," written in 1849, was addressed to Virginia and
tells of the death of a young woman.
• Many of Poe's works demonstrate a fascination with death. MACABRE
•The poem tells of the death of a young
woman and was originally addressed to his
wife Virginia, who died, not coincidentally,
as a young woman.
•Annabel Lee is a more fitting name for his
idealized woman, Virginia Clemm not being
an easy name to rhyme with (phlegm, hem,
them, gem not really doing it for me).
•The poem ‘Annabel Lee’ is one based on the
theme of eternal love. In this poem, the narrator
portrays his love toward Annabel by means of a
dramatic use of nostalgia.
1. What is the theme of “Annabel Lee”? Explain how the following
line is an example of the theme of the poem.
“For we loved with a love that was more than love…”
2. What words does Poe use to indicate that he and Annabel Lee
lived in a separate world? Explain how these words create a fantasy
world.
3. On the creative level (not literal), what did Annabel Lee die of?
4. Why is the following ironic?
a. “With a love that even the winged seraphs in heaven coveted her and
me”
b. “The angels, not so happy in heaven, went envying her and me”
5. What is the mood of the poem? Why do you think so?
Setting The narrator (persona) writes about a fictional kingdom along the ocean
shore. It is an idyllic, beautiful, land of enchantment–a paradise on earth–where he
and Annabel Lee fell in love as adolescents.
Characters Narrator (persona): A man of deep sensibility who extolls a young maiden with
whom he fell deeply in love. Annabel Lee: Beautiful young maiden loved by the poet.
Theme Eternal love. The love between the narrator and Annabel Lee is so strong and beautiful
and pure that even the seraphs, the highest order of angels in heaven, envy it. They attempt to
kill this love by sending a chilling wind that kills Annabel Lee. However, the love remains alive–
eternal–because the souls of the lovers remain united. The death of a beautiful woman is a
common theme in Poe’s writing.
Familiar Motif: Romeo and Juliet Like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the narrator and
Annabel Lee are both very young when they fall deeply in love. In addition, like Shakespeare’s
“star-crossed” lovers, Poe’s lovers become victims of forces beyond their control. Finally, the
narrator and Annabel Lee–like Romeo and Juliet–experience a love beyond the understanding
of older persons
The Real Annabel Lee The model for Annabel Lee was probably Poe’s wife, Virginia Clemm,
whom he married when she was only 13. Their marriage was a very happy one. Unfortunately,
she died of tuberculosis in January 1847 when she was still in her twenties. Poe died two
years and nine months later–on October 7, 1849. “Annabel Lee” was his last poem.
Rhyme, Rhythm, Repetition: Poe uses three R’s–rhyme, rhythm, and repetition–in “Annabel
Lee” to create a harmony of sounds that underscore the exquisite harmony of the narrator’s
relationship with his beloved.
Rhyme and Repetition
Throughout the poem, Poe repeats the sound of long "e.
Rhythm and Repetition
The lines of the poem alternate in length between a long line (usually with 9 to 11
syllables) and a short line (usually with 6 to 8 syllables), as in the first stanza:
Word Choice: Poe carefully chose the words of the poem to evoke a dreamland or fairytale
atmosphere.
Use of Alliteration: Poe relies heavily on alliteration in "Annabel Lee" to create pleasing
sound patterns. Following are examples of alliteration in the poem:
THE POEM
It was many and many a year ago
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than loveI and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
• And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her high-born kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepluchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and meYes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than weOf many far wiser than weAnd neither the angels in heaven above,
Not the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel lee.
For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.