Annabel Lee

By opening “Annabel Lee” with the lines, “It was many and many a year ago, / In a kingdom by the sea” (Lines 1-2), Poe creates a sense that the reader has entered the world of a classical fairy tale. This sense is furthered with mention of a “maiden” (Line 3) who inhabits the kingdom. When coupled with the use of a simple rhyme scheme, this allusion to fantasy stories appears to prepare the reader for a traditional children’s story where at the close of the tale, everyone will live “happily ever after.”

However, matters considerably darken in the second stanza, as the young couple experience love for one another on such a heightened plane that the “winged seraphs of Heaven / Coveted [the pair]” (Lines 11-12). Given that angels—typically used to symbolize innocence, sanctity, and grace—are instead driven by apparent cruelty, jealousy and rage, “Annabel Lee” develops into something far different than a fairy tale; it becomes instead a gothic romance whose images of violence, depression, and ghosts create a haunted, despairing tone, which maintains for the rest of the poem.

As the narrator continues to insist that the angels were directly responsible for the death of his beloved, by the third stanza, any pretense the reader has of the narrator’s

Unlock all 18 pages of this Study Guide

Plus, gain access to 8,500+ more expert-written Study Guides.

Including features:

+ Mobile App

+ Printable PDF

+ Literary AI Tools

Unlock Full Library