In Annabel Lee, Edgar Allen Poe depicts a relationship where boundaries are disregarded. The speaker in the poem believes that his and Annabel’s love is so strong that even the angels are envious, leading to her untimely death by a supernatural force. Poe explores the perspective of a deranged stalker who becomes so consumed by his obsession that he lies beside his deceased lover, hoping to join her in the afterlife.
The purpose of the first stanza is to set the scene of the poem. It begins like a fairy tale, stating that the story happened “many a year ago” in a “kingdom by the sea” (Poe1-2). Poe repeats these details in the second line of each stanza, emphasizing their importance as the sea and the kingdom are central images in the poem. This repetition creates a hypnotic effect on the reader, which is characteristic of Poe’s writing style. In the following two lines, Poe introduces the protagonist, Annabel Lee, describing her as a young and presumably beautiful maiden. This description maintains the poem’s overall tone. Poe then reveals his reason for writing the poem in the next two lines: that he and Annabel Lee were deeply and passionately in love, consumed by thoughts of each other each day.
In the second stanza of the poem, Edgar Allan Poe provides a timeframe for when the events occurred. He mentions that he and Annabel Lee were children when their love first emerged. This reflects the unusual nature of their relationship, as it began at such a young age. The repeated line “In this kingdom by the sea” creates a vivid image of a grand castle overlooking the ocean, enhancing the romantic and fairy tale-like atmosphere of the poem. By stating that their love was “more than love,” Poe emphasizes the intensity and depth of their feelings. He further explains that even heavenly beings, referred to as “seraphs,” coveted their love due to its passionate nature. This revelation marks a critical turning point in the poem, as coveting implies desires for something that is not one’s own.The ninth and tenth commandments explicitly forbid angels from experiencing a peculiar feeling that is not considered holy.
The third stanza of the poem marks a turning point for the speaker as he accuses the angels of causing the unfortunate events. According to the speaker, the angels, who were jealous of their love, sent a chilling wind from a cloud that ultimately resulted in Annabel’s demise. The exact cause of her death is not explicitly mentioned, but it could be interpreted as her falling ill or even as her lifeless body. This chilling and lifeless image becomes a central motif in the poem. The speaker further reveals that one of Annabel’s highborn family members came and took her away from him. The use of “highborn” suggests that this family member belonged to a higher social class. The mention of this detail implies that there may have been some sort of conflict within Annabel’s family prior to her being taken away. This intricate plotting with minute details is characteristic of Poe’s writing style. Despite the unmentioned event within the family, it is clear from the context that Annabel is being separated from the speaker by death and her family’s efforts to confine her in a sepulcher. A sepulcher is a grand and elaborate building often used by an entire family to ensure their souls remain together in the afterlife.
In the fourth stanza, the speaker directly attributes his girlfriend’s death to the angels’ actions. He states that he and Annabel were better off on earth than the angels were in heaven and that made them resentful and angry. The speaker then rules out the possibility of it being family troubles because he repeats himself from line 13 “that is the reason” the angels killed Annabel Lee. Then the speaker is very keen to point out the fact that he is not being irrational, that in fact, it is common knowledge that everyone in the kingdom knows that the angels killed Annabel Lee. The stanza does not really add to the story but gives a glimpse of the speaker’s mental health. The whole stanza is dedicated to recapping the story of how Annabel died so this can show how traumatic her death was to him. The fact that he says “Yes!—that is the reason” (Poe 23) in line 23 he is trying to justify his theory or to even convince himself, that the angel killed Annabel out of jealousy which seems strange to begin with. Poe is repeating himself again, and each time he is adding new pieces of information, in particular, he is acknowledging Annabel’s death as a concrete event.
The speaker in the fifth stanza declares eternal love for Annabel Lee. Their relationship transcended death, an uncommon occurrence as most people believe love ends with death. Despite their young age, the speaker and Annabel shared a deep and mutual understanding. The third stanza hints at the maiden’s dependence on others, suggesting that the speaker may have made choices on her behalf to align their desires. The speaker further asserts that even though the angels took Annabel’s life, their souls remain intertwined despite her physical departure.
In the final stanza, the speaker reaffirms his love for Annabel while acknowledging her death. The opening line suggests that Annabel has been dead for some time, but the speaker is reflecting on their past. The speaker then describes how he still feels Annabel’s presence in vivid and intense ways. He dreams of her when the moon shines and feels her eyes upon him when the stars appear. This portrayal of the speaker’s mental state raises questions about his sanity. Instead of simply being reminded of Annabel by the stars, he claims to physically feel her gaze, implying a physical connection to her deceased eyes. This reflects Poe’s common theme of characters being haunted by dreams of lost loved ones. The poem takes a disturbing turn as the speaker reveals that their love remains unbroken. Unable to be separated, he spends his nights curled up next to Annabel’s lifeless body in her tomb. The speaker shocks the audience by proclaiming Annabel as his darling, his life, and his bride, despite no mention of marriage before her death.
In the poem, the speaker becomes more and more unstable as it progresses, barely alive and holding onto his deceased girlfriend’s body. Poe purposefully includes this detail at the end to prompt the reader to revisit the previous parts of the poem and realize that the speaker is an older man reflecting on his life and soon to reunite with his beloved in the afterlife. Similar to many of Poe’s works, the poem concludes with a memorable phrase, “by the sounding sea,” evoking thoughts of the sudden and unexpected impact of death, much like the cold ocean crashing against rocks.
Poe aims to create a disquieting poem displaying the progressive revelation of the poet’s unstable mental state and fixation on unrequited love. Through subtle hints scattered throughout the poem, the speaker’s troubled psyche is exposed, allowing the reader to see beyond his facade and recognize his obsession, despite his insistence that she is his bride. In this piece, Poe successfully captures the mindset of a deranged stalker, leaving a lasting impression on his audience and establishing it as a truly memorable poem.
