An Analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's Annabel Lee
In life, as in death, Edgar Allan Poe evoked a feeling of sympathy from his
readership. Those who knew him well considered him deep, mysterious and
contemplative; thus, coupled with the copious tragedies he suffered
throughout his life, especially the loss of his first wife Virginia, it is
easy to understand how the author brings out the theme of Annabel Lee through
personal/setting imagery, repetition of words and rhythm/rhyme. Annabel Lee
honors the memory of Poe's deceased wife, Virginia. Throughout the poem, his
use of personal imagery helps the reader to grasp the intense feelings of
loss he continues to experience long after her passing. The setting imagery
is critical to this particular literary piece, in that it is through setting
that one gains a significantly better realization of his anguish. A passage
from what came to be the last poem written by Poe before his death
illustrates his torment:
"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."
No matter his efforts, Poe just could not seem to shake the loss of Virginia.
He especially had difficulty forgetting her final days, watching her cough
up blood and slowly dies of tuberculosis. He could not even afford a blanket
or handful of coal with wh...
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...nd but elusive subtleties. To be sure, Poe was a writer who incorporated
a significant amount of blatancy while also implying considerable obscurity.
This dichotomy has served to be the cornerstone of the author's works, which
have successfully stood the test of time. "And so, all the night-tide, I lie
down by the side Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride, In the
sepulchre there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea." Without
question, Annabel Lee provides a unique insight into the relationships among
theme, rhythm and imagery. Also evident within the very essence of the story
is the manner in which it illustrates the compassion inherent within such a
master composer as the troubled Edgar Allan Poe.
Works Cited:
Poe, Edgar Allan. ?Annabel Lee.? The Book of Living Verse. Ed. Louis Untermeyer. New York: Harcourt, 1939.
In "Annabel Lee", a young man is mourning the death of a beautiful young lady. Even though the woman had died quite some time ago, the man is still in melancholy. He misses her terribly and constantly thinks of how she was she was tragically taken from him by the angels who were jealous of their love, and by her family who didn't think the he himself was capable of bringing her to her final resting place. He loved Annabel Lee more than anyother human can love another. The following quote tells the reader how much he loves her and shows that he would do anything for her, even if that means sleeping by her tomb, each and every night. "And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side of my darling, my life and my bride, in her sepulchre there by the sea, in her tomb by the side of the sea."
Of all religious holidays that have been adopted by secularists, one of the most popular would be Christmas, originally meant to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. With the exact date of Jesus' birth unknown during ancient times, Christmas was initially assigned to January 6th, but was changed to December 25th under the influence of the winter solstice (Nothaft 903). Peculiarly however, is the universal celebration of Christmas al...
Poe died in 1849, but his memory did not die with him. His life influences influenced his writings which, in turn, influenced the lives of others. Through his pain and anguish, others have learned to appreciate the darker side of literature. Poe's works often show us how fine a line there is between sanity and madness.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "Annabel Lee." Poetry Foundation. Ed. Poetry Foundation. Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
...ut of the cloud by night”. That wind was also associated with the words “chilling and killing”. Virginia died of Tuberculosis, so the similarities between her and Annabel Lee are uncanny. The death of Virginia affected Poe so much he wrote a poem dedicated to her. It is also known that his drinking problem got worse after her death.
Asselineau, Roger. "Edgar Allan Poe." American Writers Vol. III. Ed. Leonard Unger. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1974: 409-432.
Poe's life started tragically, when his father deserted his family and his mother died of tuberculosis (Bloom 1999). The death of his mother could have influenced some of his darker themes in his poems about death .He lived his childhood with a foster family who paid for his education (Bloom 1999). He went to a University for a while until he got into trouble. He had a gambling issue that latter put him into great debt; his foster father refused to pay for (Bloom 1999). Poe put his soul into writing and he used his personal experiences through out life. As one reads his love poems, they feel Poe’s distress and anguish over his lost loved one. Poe had a wife named Virginia that he cared for deep...
Edgar Allan Poe has a unique writing style that uses several different elements of literary structure. He uses intrigue vocabulary, repetition, and imagery to better capture the reader’s attention and place them in the story. Edgar Allan Poe’s style is dark, and his is mysterious style of writing appeals to emotion and drama. What might be Poe’s greatest fictitious stories are gothic tend to have the same recurring theme of either death, lost love, or both. His choice of word draws the reader in to engage them to understand the author’s message more clearly. Authors who have a vague short lexicon tend to not engage the reader as much.
Christmas was originally called "The Feast of the Nativity of Jesus". The word "nativity" comes from the Latin word Natalis, meaning birthday. The observance probably does not date earlier than 200 AD and did not become widespread until the 4th century. The actual date of Jesus birth is unknown but what is known is that Christian leaders in 336 A.D. set the date to December 25 in an attempt to eclipse a popular pagan holiday in Rome. The date of Christmas coincides closely with the winter solstice in the Northern hemisphere, a time of rejoicing among many ancient cultures. Christmas, as the great popular festival of Western Europe, dates from the Middle Ages.
Throughout history, countless traditions have been created to celebrate several holidays. Many of those who celebrate the holiday traditions are unaware of their origins, but naturally accept them as cultural customs. To be specific, the popular Christian holiday, Christmas, has influenced many traditions including the stories of Santa Claus, the exchanging of gifts, the placement of trees in homes, and the decoration of glowing lights.
ChristmasThe year's most celebrated holiday is celebrated on December 25th, both in homes and churches worldwide. The meaning for Christmas is to recognize Christ's birth, of which the exact date is not known. During the fourth century the Bishop of Rome set December 25th as Christ's birth date. Some authorities claim that the choice of December 25th was made because it coincided with Chanukah, Mithraic's feast of the sun god, and the people of northern Europe's winter solstice feast. The winter solstice is the time of year in the Northern Hemisphere when the noon sun appears to be farthest south. (All About American Holidays, 1962 Encyclopedia Encarta, 1998)The Saturnalia was celebrated for seven days, during the period of time when the winter solstice occurred.
Abandoned as an infant by his father, Poe lost his mother to tuberculosis at the age of three, and was sent to live with foster parents. There he was raised but never adopted. Also, his relationship with his foster father was quite tumultuous. Shortly after their death, he married his cousin Virginia Clemm, who also ended up contracting tuberculosis and died after a long hard battle with the disease. This had a very hard impact on Poe. Furthermore, it is known that Poe also had a serious problem with alcohol, as well as there are reports that he likely suffered from a mental illness, as evidenced by a letter he wrote stating that he had tried to commit suicide (Quinn 1998). Also, throughout his life, Poe struggled to be a writer, though his ways always ended up keeping him from achieving, while he was alive, what he was capable of. As one can see, Poe lived a life that was defined by death, hardship, and his own possible insanity. This makes it much more clear as to why he chose such dark themes for his works.
Christmas is a holiday celebrated by many nations and religions around the world. The spirit of Christmas causes people to come together. It is one of the most favorite times of the year involving gift giving and merry making. To celebrate Christmas people decorate their homes, churches, and other buildings in which fellowship may take place. They may do this with ribbon, holly, mistletoe, and decking them with silver and gold. But where did all these traditions originate? Now, many believe that Christmas is the celebration of Jesus's birth. The truth is that all of these customs from Christmas pre-date our Lord's birth entirely! Christmas today is just a collection of traditions put together to make the holiday we celebrate every year on December
Christmas is a Christian holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. No one knows the exact date of Christ's birth, but most Christians observe Christmas on December 25. On this day, many go to church, where they take part in special religious services. During the Christmas season, they also exchange gifts and decorate their homes with holly, mistletoe, and Christmas trees
The Christmas holiday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ in the Christian faith has expanded beyond its religious significance and been transformed into a cultural phenomenon observed by both believers and non-believers.