An exceptional poem can move the reader to a new consciousness. It becomes more than words pieced together to make a rhyme, and evokes true emotion that is palpable. One of the most influential authors that contributed to this experience was Edgar Allan Poe. His work is almost immediately recognizable due to his common motif that is both melancholy and mysterious. Much of his writing concerns love and loss, such as in his poem “Annabel Lee.” The essence of this work is endless love and the death of a beautiful young girl. It is thought by many that most of his literature mirrors his actual life, which was riddled with heartbreak and sorrow. It is evident from the mood and setting of his writing that he dealt with a lot of grief during his short life. In his poem “Annabel Lee,” Edgar Allan Poe masters the use of symbolism, imagery, and rhyme, which arouses a sense of kinship when read, and takes the reader into his world.
Edgar Allan Poe has been deemed the, “Father of Mystery” by many of his admirers (Kelleghan 520). He became one of the most controversial authors of his time. In Kennedy’s book, “A Historical Guide to Edgar Allan Poe” he states, “Despite persisting disagreement about Edgar Allan Poe's literary achievement, no American writer of the antebellum period enjoys greater current popularity and recognizability” (3). Poe’s life could certainly set the canvas for most of his work considering all of the grief he encountered. His father abandoned the family when he was nine months old. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was two years old, leaving himself and two other siblings orphaned. He was taken in and reared by a family, but was never adopted. He did, however, form a very strong bond with h...
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Works Cited
Bloom, Harold. Edgar Allan Poe. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers, 1999. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
Kelleghan, Fiona. 100 Masters Of Mystery And Detective Fiction. Pasadena, Calif: Salem Press, 2001. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
Kennedy, J. Gerald. A Historical Guide To Edgar Allan Poe. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Web. 5 Dec. 2013.
Poe, Edgar Allan. Annabel Lee. Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing. Ed. X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia. 12th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2013. 993. Print.
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Poe, Edgar Allan. The Collected Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: The Modern Library 1992
Poe, Edgar Allan. Annabel Lee. 8th ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2013. 691. Print.
Poe, Edgar Allan, and Arthur Hobson Quinn. Complete Tales and Poems. New ed. : Dorset P., U.S., 1992. Print.
Meyers, J. (1992). Edgar Allan Poe: his life and legacy. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons Frank, F. S. (1997). The Poe encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press..
Grief, revenge, and unsurpassed sorrow. Few authors can replicate these feelings as well as Edgar Allan Poe. “The Raven”, “Lenore”, and “Annabel Lee” all refer to an instance where the narrator is grieving over a lost loved one.
Thomson, Gary Richard, and Poe Edgar. The selected writings of Edgar Allan Poe. New York: Norton & Company, 2004
Quinn, Arthur Hobson. Edgar Allan Poe: A Critical Biography. New York: D. Appleton-Century Company, 1941. Internet.
Frye, Steven. Critical Insights: The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe. Pasadena, CA: Salem, 2010. Print.
Krutch, Joseph Wood. Edgar Allan Poe: a Study in Genius. New York: Atheneum, 1965. Print.
Edgar Allan Poe was a man who unfortunately was born into a life full of morbidity and grief. The stories and poems that he created reflect the experience he has with agonizing situations, in which Poe’s dark side developed; his evil reasoning and twisted mentality allowed Poe to develop extremely vivid and enthralling stories and works. Due to not only his family members but also his wifes to passing from tuberculosis, morbidity and grief is present in almost every work that Poe created. From major works such as “the Raven”, “Black Cat”, “Annabel Lee”, and the Tell- Tale Heart, Poe utilized themes such as death, premature burials, body decompositions, mourning, and morbidity to enhance his point an the image he attempted to convey.
Poe, Edgar Allan. "Annabel Lee." Poetry Foundation. Ed. Poetry Foundation. Harriet Monroe Poetry Institute, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2014.
Poems have really intricate meanings that can be portrayed in many different ways. They can be used to express feelings and emotions towards someone or something. Poems can be about love, hate, nature, or anything in particular. The poem “Annabel Lee,” by Edgar Allan Poe is a romantic poem, written during the Romanticism period. The poem is about the narrator, a young man, who is dealing with the tragic loss of his fair maiden, whom he fell in love with at a young age. The love between the couple is described as very childlike and innocent. Their love for each other is extremely passionate, for that reason, the angels became jealous and killed Annabel Lee. Although his wife passed away, the narrator does not want to give up on their love and
Poe, Edgar Allan, Andrew Barger, Harry Clarke and Gustave Dore´. Edgar Allan Poe. [Memphis, Tenn.]: BottleTree Books, 2008. Print.
Meyers, Jeffrey. Edgar Allan Poe: His Life and Legacy. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1992.
In this project, I will be discussing about my poet Edgar Allan Poe. Poe had written numerous of poems and stories but the one I chose was “Annabel Lee”. This poem was written in 1849 which was a long time ago. Even though this poem is centuries old, it is still a well known poem. This whole project includes a biography, literary movement, and a explication about the poem.