Analysis of Annabel Lee
D’souza 1
Clayton D’souza
Mr. Morano
ENG3U1-04
Monday, October 1, 2012
Everlasting love in the poem “Annabel Lee” Everyone dreams of the love of their life that is very special to them. It is the kind of person that makes their life complete and even though death their love continues on. In the poem “Annabel Lee,” Edgar Allan Poe writes of this kind of love, a love so strong “the angles not so happy in heaven went envying her and me” (lines 21-22). Poe utilizes a combination of poetic shifts and imagery, along with diction to express this everlasting love. On the literal level the poem starts off with Poe’s persona remembering his love, Annabel Lee. Many years ago the persona and Annabel Lee were both children who lived in a kingdom by the sea. Even though they were young they loved each other with a strong passion. Their love was so strong; angels took notice and were envying them. The angels brought a strong wind and chilled Annabel Lee to death. Her highborn kinsman came and took her away from the persona and put her in a sepulchre. Even through death their love was still strong. Angels and demons cold not separate their souls from each other. The moon gives the persona dreams about her and the stars remind of him of her eyes. Every night Poe’s persona goes and lies down beside the tomb of Annabel Lee. D’souza 2 Poe begins his poem with the use of poetic diction to evoke a fairy tale atmosphere. “It was many and many a year ago,” (line 1) echoes the traditional fairytale opening of “once upon a time.” He does this because he wants to show that his love is pure of a fairytale and also to imply to the reader of a happy ending. Then Poe goes on: “in a kingdom by the sea,” (line 2) using imagery to portray the image of a peaceful land of where the two lovers lived and again
Clayton D’souza
Mr. Morano
ENG3U1-04
Monday, October 1, 2012
Everlasting love in the poem “Annabel Lee” Everyone dreams of the love of their life that is very special to them. It is the kind of person that makes their life complete and even though death their love continues on. In the poem “Annabel Lee,” Edgar Allan Poe writes of this kind of love, a love so strong “the angles not so happy in heaven went envying her and me” (lines 21-22). Poe utilizes a combination of poetic shifts and imagery, along with diction to express this everlasting love. On the literal level the poem starts off with Poe’s persona remembering his love, Annabel Lee. Many years ago the persona and Annabel Lee were both children who lived in a kingdom by the sea. Even though they were young they loved each other with a strong passion. Their love was so strong; angels took notice and were envying them. The angels brought a strong wind and chilled Annabel Lee to death. Her highborn kinsman came and took her away from the persona and put her in a sepulchre. Even through death their love was still strong. Angels and demons cold not separate their souls from each other. The moon gives the persona dreams about her and the stars remind of him of her eyes. Every night Poe’s persona goes and lies down beside the tomb of Annabel Lee. D’souza 2 Poe begins his poem with the use of poetic diction to evoke a fairy tale atmosphere. “It was many and many a year ago,” (line 1) echoes the traditional fairytale opening of “once upon a time.” He does this because he wants to show that his love is pure of a fairytale and also to imply to the reader of a happy ending. Then Poe goes on: “in a kingdom by the sea,” (line 2) using imagery to portray the image of a peaceful land of where the two lovers lived and again