Annabel Lee, Edgar Allan Poe: Summary & Analysis

Mason August 23, 2024

Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" is one of his most famous and beloved poems. Written in 1849, it was published shortly after Poe's death and is often considered his final complete poem. The poem tells the tragic story of a young man’s deep and eternal love for his beautiful Annabel Lee. This love, described as so powerful that even the angels in Heaven envied it, is central to the poem’s theme of love and loss.

Poem: "Annabel Lee"

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 love—
I and my Annabel Lee—
With a love that the wingèd 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 highborn kinsmen came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in Heaven,
Went envying her and me—
Yes!—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 we—
Of many far wiser than we—
And neither the angels in Heaven above
Nor 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 her sepulchre there by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Summary of "Annabel Lee"

The poem "Annabel Lee" recounts the tale of a young man who deeply loves a maiden named Annabel Lee. They live in a "kingdom by the sea," and their love is so intense that even the angels in Heaven become envious. This jealousy is implied to have caused a cold wind to blow, leading to Annabel Lee's death. Despite her death, the speaker’s love for Annabel Lee remains undying, and he believes their souls are eternally bound. The speaker spends his nights dreaming of her and lying beside her tomb by the sea, showing that even death cannot sever their connection.

Critical Analysis of "Annabel Lee"

Theme of Eternal Love: The poem's central theme is the idea of eternal love, a love so powerful that it transcends even death. Poe presents this love as pure and untainted by the passage of time or the envy of angels.
Imagery and Symbolism: The poem is rich with imagery, especially related to the sea, which serves as a symbol of the vast, enduring nature of the speaker’s love. The sea also represents the boundary between life and death, with Annabel Lee's tomb resting beside it.
Tone: The tone of the poem is melancholic and mournful, yet it is also filled with a sense of devotion and passion. The repetition of certain phrases emphasizes the speaker's grief and the depth of his feelings.
Structure: The poem is structured in six stanzas with a consistent rhyme scheme that gives it a musical quality. The use of repetition and rhyme helps to create a hypnotic effect, drawing the reader into the speaker’s world of loss and longing.

Themes in "Annabel Lee"

Eternal Love: The poem's most prominent theme is the idea that true love is eternal, enduring beyond life and death. The speaker's love for Annabel Lee is depicted as so strong that not even the forces of Heaven or Hell can separate them.
Loss and Mourning: The poem also explores the theme of loss and the deep mourning that follows. The speaker's grief is palpable, and his nightly vigil by Annabel Lee's tomb reflects his inability to move on from her death.
Jealousy: The envy of the angels is a key element in the poem, suggesting that the purity and intensity of the love between the speaker and Annabel Lee is something even celestial beings covet.

Literary Devices in "Annabel Lee"

Repetition: Poe uses repetition throughout the poem to emphasize the speaker’s obsession with Annabel Lee and the depth of his love. Phrases like "in this kingdom by the sea" and "of the beautiful Annabel Lee" are repeated to reinforce the setting and the central figure of the poem.
Alliteration: The poem features alliteration, such as in the phrase "many and many a year ago," which adds a rhythmic quality and enhances the poem's musicality.
Symbolism: The sea serves as a powerful symbol in the poem, representing both the boundary between life and death and the vastness of the speaker's love. The moon and stars also symbolize the enduring presence of Annabel Lee in the speaker's life.
Personification: Poe personifies abstract concepts like envy and death, giving them agency in the narrative. The wind, for instance, is depicted as a malevolent force that causes Annabel Lee’s death.

Stylistic Analysis of "Annabel Lee"

Form: The poem is written in a ballad form, with a regular rhyme scheme and meter that contribute to its lyrical quality. This form is well-suited to the poem's storytelling nature.
Language: Poe's use of simple, yet evocative language makes the poem accessible while also deeply affecting. The use of archaic language, such as "sepulchre," adds to the poem's timeless and gothic atmosphere.
Structure: The poem’s structure, with its six-line stanzas and alternating rhyme, mirrors the ebb and flow of the sea, reinforcing the poem's central imagery and themes.