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.
-Edgar Allan Poe
Title
Based on the title, this poem is about a specific girl. It probably has a love connotation and is dedicated by the poet to his beloved.
Paraphrase
It happened a long time ago
In the kingdom of the seaside land:
There lived and blossomed the one that was always called,
Called Annabelle Lee
I loved, was loved, we loved together,
This is the only way we could live.
And, breathing love, we were both children
In the kingdom of the seaside land.
But we loved more than we love in love,
Me and sweet Annabelle Lee
And, looking at us, the angel of heaven
Could not forgive us that love.
That is why it happened a long time ago
In the kingdom of the seaside land,
From the sky, the wind blew cold from the clouds,
He breathed on Annabelle Lee;
And the relatives of a distinguished crowd converged
And they took her away from me
To forever put her in a sarcophagus,
In the kingdom of the seaside land.
The angel in paradise could not
Know half such bliss –
That is why it happened (as everyone knows
In the kingdom of the seaside land) –
The wind blew cold from the clouds at night
And killed my Annabelle Lee.
However, loving, we loved stronger and fuller
Those who bore the burden of old age –
Those who have surpassed us in wisdom –
And neither the angels of heaven nor the demons of darkness,
Could never separate
Could not separate my soul from that of
Seductive Annabelle Lee.
And always a ray of the moon brings me dreams
About captivating Annabelle Lee:
And the star will light up, I always see the eyes of
Seductive Annabelle Lee;
And during twinkling nights, I am all with her, I am all with her,
With the unforgettable – with the bride – with my love –
I am stretched out beside her,
In the sarcophagus of the seaside land.
Connotation
The literary context of the work is deeper than the literal one. The poet uses a long list of epithets: captivating, seductive, unforgettable, and others (Poe). He also resorts to inversion, for instance, in the phrase “And this maiden she lived” (Poe). Most of the lines do not rhyme but follow the rhythm. The list of metaphors includes the following examples: breathe love, induce dreams by a ray of the moon, and others (Poe). Poe also uses angels and demons to make a contrast. All these literary tools help the poet to immerse the reader in a sad and thoughtful mood.
Attitude/Tone
The poet uses sublime vocabulary to demonstrate his tender emotions. Both characters are children, but the story is told from the standpoint of an adult. The audience is general because the themes of love and death in the poem are revealed without unnecessary details. The poet shows his awe and excitement by using only a high syllable without a hint of humor.
Shifts
The events in the poem develop sequentially, but as the plot progresses, the speech becomes more emotional, as evidenced by numerous dashes and repetitions. At the beginning, the childish period is presented, and the view of an adult is shown at the end. However, both parts of the poem are united by the same emotion of awe.
Title
A beautiful and literary title, which is a female name, is associated with a love story in the spirit of medieval romanticism.
Theme
The poem is a sad love story of two young people who had tender feelings since childhood but were later separated, and the young man learns about the death of his beloved. The theme of unfinished love and female charm is revealed through the classical metaphorical nature and sublime style.