Comparing Annabel Lee And The Rolling Stones

After the death of a loved one, one might feel as if life is hopeless and meaningless without the person who they love the most. “Annabel Lee” is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. “Paint it Black” is a song by The Rolling Stones. Both of these two works of literatures focus on the human problem of having to carry on and make sense of the world after the permanent disruption caused by death. In both of these poems, symbols are used to represent how the speaker is feeling. “Paint it Black” uses colors to symbolize the heartbreak the speaker is going through. “Paint it Black” by The Rolling Stones is written in the viewpoint of a person who is depressed by the loss of their lover and nothing has color or meaning anymore. The Rolling Stones write, “No colors anymore I want them painted black.” the color black is symbolic of depression and pain in the song. Black is also a metaphor for the speaker's mood, everything he sees is black which

“Annabel Lee” tells about the death of the speakers love, Annabel Lee. Jeannine Johnson says, “His wife virginia had died in 1847 after suffering a prolonged illness, and many readers have believed that the poem was written in her memory (21).” The speaker tells how they were young and in love when his love died. In the poem it doesn’t state explicitly how she died other than that a “chill” came down upon her. Unlike in “Paint it Black” the speaker blames the death of his wife on the angels. Poe says,”The angels, not so happy in Heaven, Went envying her and me; Yes! that was the reason (21) ” which suggests that he is trying to rationalize her death by claiming that angels killed his wife because they were jealous of their love. Both of these poems have a common theme of mourning over the death of a loved one. In both of these works, in spite of the death of their wife both of the speakers continue to love them even after their