I am doing a term paper on the death of beautiful women in poe's poetry. My 3 poems i need to analyze are Lenore, Annabel Lee, and The Sleeper. I need criticism as well. Pleae help

-- Anonymous, March 07, 2001

Answers

Brig, I'm in the same boat myself. I've done my research on Poe's past. It turns out that his mother was strikingly beautiful and was young. She got teburculosis, and Poe was staring her in the face when she died. Later, Poe fell madly in love with his friend's mother, who was also very beautiful and young. She too, died of consumption, and Poe was in her prescence the night she died. Since Poe was "adopted" by the Allan faimly after his mother died, he became very close with the beautiful Francis Allan. And guess what? She died of teburculosis! Then Poe fell in love with his 13 year old cousin who was very beautiful. She got teburculosis, and Poe was staring her in the face when she died. Because of witnessing all these deaths, four images stayed in Poe's mind for the rest of his life: life, death, youth, and beauty. Many of his stories and poems are about the death of a young, beautiful woman, or the women being unattainable (and death is about as unattainable as it gets). Annabel Lee is a eulogy/tribute to his deseased wife (Virginia Clemm)

-- Anonymous, March 11, 2001