The poem Annabel Lee was interesting and well written. Throughout reading the poem the raw emotions felt by Edgar Allen Poe as he was creating this poem were clear. Even though Edgar Allen Poes feelings were clear there are many questions that remain in regard to the poem such as did he write the poem about his lost love, Virginia, did he write it about the loss of his mother, or did he write the poem as a way to pay off a debt he owed? This essay will be broken down into three parts. It will describe my initial reactions after reading the poem, my analysis of the poem, and my feelings after reading Harold Blooms analysis of the poem.
My first impression that came to mind while reading Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe was of a childrens fairy tale that contained a rhythm and a musical tone. Throughout the poem Poe seems to rhyme every word to the poems title Annabel Lee. Towards the end, I noticed the original tone darken a bit with phrases such as the wind came out of the cloud chilling, and killing my Annabel Lee with the progression of the poem. Poes starting fairy tale tone worked to show innocence, a true love, an inseparable couple in perfect harmony with each other soon turned sad and dark. He showed a love too perfect as a terrible cycle that ends by death from jealousy which eventually separates the two lovers forever.
My analysis of the poem works to show how things always change in life. At the beginning of the poem Edgar Allen Poe gives his readers sort of a fairy tale mind set as he uses language which makes people feel happy. Some of that language includes, Kingdom by the sea. It is important to understand that Poes really wants people to be thinking happy and sweet thoughts. With the way in which Poe describes Annabel Lee it makes it easy to understand how the angels of heaven could be jealous of the couple and try to destroy the couples love by causing them to separate. The rhythm of the poem is established as to always stress the name Annabel Lee. As the reader reads the poem, they can imagine the females sheer beauty and charm just by the way Edgar Allen Poe uses her name at the end of the poem lines. In the final stanza of the poem I find that his love and devotion to her is so sweet and so complete, that he longs to sleep so that in his dreams he may join her. For me, at least, his use of the term night-tide in the poem suggests the coming of or yearning for deep sleep when his dreams are most filled with wonderful memories of Annabel Lee. I would also suggest that the name Annabel lee was selected and used for its youthful tone, it musical quality and rhythmic support it lends to the poem.
In researching the poem on line and trying to gain a better understanding of the meaning behind the poem, I found a criticism of the poem written by Harold Bloom. In this criticism, Harold Bloom suggests that the poem was written as more of a elegy for his wife Virginia that anything else. According to Bloom, the poem had its beginning in the form of a payment for a debt Poe owed to Editor John Thompson and soon after struck it big. Many women claimed the poem was written for them however; to this day Poes true motivation remains unknown. He also suggests that the poem make reference to supernatural elements, and his love for Annabel Lee that had been jealously stripped by these entities. It also offers a strong look at Poes opinions at fidelity to the memory of love, the inevitable death of these feeling and physical relationships. After reading Blooms analysis of the poem I was shocked to see that our analyses were very similar. Although Poes true intention for writing Annabel Lee may never be known, I can say for certain that this poem shows readers what makes poetry so beautiful yet mysterious.
In conclusion, I have learned through reviewing this poem that all of my original thoughts in regard to Annabel Lee have at some point been shared by other people. This poem is a classic poem that takes readers on a journey through love and loss. When you stop and think about the pain that Edgar Allen Poe must have been feeling as he wrote the poem it is unbelievable. I think there are very few people that have not, wished with all their heart to share a love so powerful and so perfect as the love shared between Annabel Lee and Edgar Allen Poe. In my closing opinion, I believe that Edgar Allen Poe wrote this poem about his lost love Virginia. To me, it doesnt matter if he wrote it to pay off a debt or as a elegy. The feelings that he shared throughout the poem were powerful and in my opinion a showed how he really felt.
Analysis Outline:
I. INTRODUCTION:
Thesis: Even though Edgar Allen Poes feelings were clear there are many questions that remain in regard to the poem such as did he write the poem about his lost love, Virginia, did he write it about the loss of his mother, or did he write the poem as a way to pay off a debt he owed? This essay will be broken down into three parts. It will describe my initial reactions after reading the poem, my analysis of the poem, and my feelings after reading Harold Blooms analysis of the poem.
II. BODY PARAGRAPH 1:
Opening Sentence: My first impression that came to mind while reading Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe was of a childrens fairy tale that contained a rhythm and a musical tone.
Detail 1: Throughout the poem Poe seems to rhyme every word to the poems title Annabel Lee.
Detail 2: Towards the end, I noticed the original tone darken a bit with phrases such as the wind came out of the cloud chilling, and killing my Annabel Lee with the progression of the poem.
Detail 3: Poes starting fairy tale tone worked to show innocence, a true love, an inseparable couple in perfect harmony with each other soon turned sad and dark.
Detail 4: He showed a love too perfect as a terrible cycle that ends by death from jealousy which eventually separates the two lovers forever.
III. BODY PARAGRAPH II:
Transition/Opening Sentence: My analysis of the poem works to show how things always change in life. At the beginning of the poem Edgar Allen Poe gives his readers sort of a fairy tale mind set as he uses language which makes people feel happy.
Detail 1: Some of that language includes, Kingdom by the sea. It is important to understand that Poes really wants people to be thinking happy and sweet thoughts. With the way in which Poe describes Annabel Lee it makes it easy to understand how the angels of heaven could be jealous of the couple and try to destroy the couples love by causing them to separate.
Detail 2: The rhythm of the poem is established as to always stress the name Annabel Lee. As the reader reads the poem, they can imagine the females sheer beauty and charm just by the way Edgar Allen Poe uses her name at the end of the poem lines.
Detail 3: In the final stanza of the poem I find that his love and devotion to her is so sweet and so complete, that he longs to sleep so that in his dreams he may join her. For me, at least, his use of the term night-tide in the poem suggests the coming of or yearning for deep sleep when his dreams are most filled with wonderful memories of Annabel Lee.
Detail 4: I would also suggest that the name Annabel lee was selected and used for its youthful tone, it musical quality and rhythmic support it lends to the poem.
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