Name: Kimberlyn M.

Fajutina
Year/Block: 3-4

Interpretation on Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

I
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.

The poem is introduced in a way of telling a fairy tale, because of the use of
“many and many a year ago” and “kingdom by the sea”. It means that the persona is
telling us what happened many years ago. Then, the author introduces the central
character which is Anabel Lee. When we read the title of the poem, there is already a
compelling effect. We are intrigued who is Anabel Lee and why the poem is entitled of
her name. The introduction of Anabel Lee creates excitement to the readers. The author
expresses that Annabel Lee is a young woman, usually unmarried who lived with the
persona. Also, this girl has no other wants than to love the persona and to be loved by
the persona. In this part, the author tells us that Annabel Lee is in love with the persona.

II
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 winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

The persona reveals that they are still young when their story happened. They
are still young when he and Annabel Lee started to love each other. The repetition of
this phrase “in this kingdom by the sea” means that they have a special place which
adds to the details that their love is uncommon. Even though they are still young, they
consider their love as true and pure and not an infatuation. There love is so special and
intense that even the “winged seraphs” or angels of the highest order also want their
love. These winged seraphs earnestly wished for their love or desired to be owned or
experienced by them.

III
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 kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The persona indirectly stated that the winged seraphs are the one responsible of
the strong wind that makes her Annabel Lee to become sick. The persona mentioned in
the 2nd stanza that the winged seraphs coveted them, so he thinks that it might the
reason why the winged seraphs want Annabel Lee to be away from him. In the very end,
the persona clearly mentioned that Annabel Lee died because of the disease she got.
The word “highborn kinsman” and “bore” signifies that the persona and Annabel Lee
have significant difference in status, and Annabel’s family is against with their
relationship. That’s the reason why Annabel was taken forcefully away from him. “To
shut her up in a sepulcher” means the family truly want him to be deprived of visiting the
body of Annabel. It also means that she truly love Annabel that he is against in taking
away the corpse of Annabel from him.

IV
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.

Now, the persona already clearly states that the angels are not happy with their
love and they envied them. The persona strongly blamed the angels for the death of her
love and it was known by many. The use of exclamation signified that the persona is
mad for the angels that they have killed his one and only love. It is very clear for the
persona and other people that the wind is the reason of Annabel’s death. The wind
signifies bad weather and word “chilling” means a disease get due to bad weather like a
pneumonia.

V
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:

The persona states that there love is so strong that it is beyond with the love of
old and wise people; it can surpassed any great hurdles. There love is eternal for it is
beyond death that even Annabel is already dead, they are still bound with each other.
They can never be separated. The persona believes that only Annabel’s body left him
but not her soul. The persona’s love for Annabel is truly pure that even she’s dead, he
will still love her. The way he repeatedly states “beautiful” as an admiration for Annabel,
it means that her admiration never tarnished and he was still madly in love with Annabel.

VI
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.

Now, the persona start using present tense in telling us the story. It means that
he’s stating the present happenings in his life. He is already done of telling the past.
From his statement, their love is alive with his mind. It feels like he is so obsessed with
Annabel that he can’t accept the reality that Annabel is already death. It is unusual and
creepy to think that every time you are looking in the stars, you sees someone’s eyes
which is so bright. Also, it’s creepy the way he lies in the tomb of Annabel. It signifies
that the persona is not mentally stable. The use of “night-tide” which means “a flood tide
occurring during the night” signifies that the persona might be already dead. Anabel’s
tomb is the middle of the sea so lying there all the night-tide might signifies drowning
himself. “Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,” this line emphasizes that
the persona can sacrifice himself only to be reunited with his lover. His life means is to
be with Annabel. Noticed that it is the only time the persona uses “my bride” in referring
to Annabel. “Bride” which means a woman just married or about to be married. It means
that the moment the persona died, they were reunited and it marked their matrimony.
The “sounding sea” which means the roar of the ocean creates a terrifying, yet
sympathetic effect and signifies the tragedy for the lovers.