I would appreciate it if i could get an analysis of the poem "Annabel Lee", ASAP....thanks so much....

-- Anonymous, June 06, 2001

Answers

With the bare hints of a medieval)"Kingdom" "high-born kinsmen") ballad setting("long ago," "you may know"- familiarity with a popular ballad?)the poem launches into a relentless onomatopeia echo of the waves on the shore. Most of these settings usually turn gothically grim and this is no exception.

His two breaks in the alternating rhyme scheme(waves vary too!)signify two important emotions typical of this late stage of his life. The first couplet ("older than we" "far wiser than we")is bitterly mocking in tone of his distinguished foes and oppressors(angels in heaven). See the dwarf and girl in the story "Hop-Frog". Instead of providing heavenly Hope he blames their "envy" for intentionally separating them.(An Orpheus moment, but totally defiant) Nothing can "ever dissever my soul from the soul of Annabel Lee." This recalls ideal love as in "Al Araaf" that uses the same sound combo for emphasis. A chill wind from the angels destroys her. the "love more a love" is beyond marital bonding to a metaphysical plane as soul is to body("To my Mother" speaks of his lost Virginia this way. So on the boundary "by the sea" he lies down by the body, the one physical reality they share though their souls are onm two different sides. For Poe the borderland could be mixed and crossed with the real world and the beyond- at least in the mind or dreams. The second couplet addition "by the side" "Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride" is probably the most intense expression of this sorrowful, poignant defiance and proclamation. No, Poe did not sleep with his wife's dead body!

The tide, the "sounding sea" has the last word. The effect, if it does not seem to exagerrated for your taste is very powerful, disturbing, tragically defiant and sorrowful. Not to be a wet blanket, but the narrator, despite his total bonding with his innocent beloved is very self-absorbed with his denial, suffering, possession of the beloved and anger.

Two versions of the last line: "by the side of the sea," keeps the rhythm too bubbly with a repetition of the word side that might be distracting. "sounding" adds a downbeat conclusion, a remorseless finale. The poedecoder.com site might mention the poem. biographies do. Poe tried to sell, resell and use this poem in his desperate, doomed courtships during his last year. Given the poem's dark self absorption and the dying commission of Virginia to remarry and look to her for spiritual help(see the late tale "Eleanora"), this is not so cold or strange as it might appear. The poem under those circumstances was attributed Poe to other women and seemed to be a blatant lie, but one that can confuse the issue. His happier poem to virginia I believe is "Eulalie". "Ulalume" could be another remembrance of her death.

Virginia's own poem is more charming and sharing, longing for the simple bliss and her their mutual happiness.

I am sure there is more imagery and technique to be analyzed, but this is all I can do at present. See texts and variants at ww.eapoe.org.

-- Anonymous, June 07, 2001

I need Critical notes on theme of love in the poem Annabel Lee.

-- Anonymous, April 03, 2002

I hate this poem and I think you people are fools for wasting your time analyzing it.

-- Anonymous, January 14, 2003

Hey bud,ezekiel herman whatever. Man, this is a great poem and if you don't think so, I think you're missing something upstairs like a brain or some other form of intelligence. You probably the only guy who thinks Enimen is a poet. Edgar Allan Poe is a great poet and this is one of his best works.

-- Anonymous, January 18, 2003

Word up G-dog. First of all its "Eminem" and secondly he is almost as whitetrash as you. you are a retard. My iq is about 7 firggen million. I hope you rot in your grave after you kill yourself, you degenerate. have a nice day.

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2003

Dave, you fool. I don't exactly know who this "Enimen" is, and you obviously don't know a thing about poetry OR poetry analysis, but maybe you have a chance at making a living as an ass. Thanks!

-- Anonymous, April 15, 2003

lmao..ok..first of all...mr DJ calvin..ur first mistake, ur a dumbass for not knowing who EMINEM is, second, u don't really make sense..cuz Ezekial Herman Charmichael III dude dissed the poem but then Dave dissed him back for dissing Poe and his poems...so why wouldn't he know anything about poetry? ok, now you Ezekial Herman Charmichael III guy, ur iq is 7 firggen million..lol. NO COMMENTS on your stupidity there. some ppl have the right to be stupid, but you two are just abusing the privelige.. and dave, i don't have a problem with you, ur perfectly normal.

-- Anonymous, April 24, 2003

WOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Poems!!! Lets fight about it, woooo!!!!!!! I bet that poem would kick all your asses.

Sincerely, CA VI

-- Anonymous, September 16, 2003

This is the funniest thing I have ever seen in a long time. First off Ezekial herman charmichael III and DJ Calvin are dumbasses and a waste of life. Everyone else is perfectly normal. I think poetry is very thought inspiring and only SMART people can understand the power that it has. You two guys should just shoot yourselves right now.

-- Anonymous, October 24, 2003

Look at the e-mail addresses for both Ez and DJ. Notice the similarity? Good. Now, just put it aside that the person is a moron. End of story.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 2003