Author: Edgar Allan Poe

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It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love,
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.


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.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
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.

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Type of Poem: Ballad

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: This poem is a poignant exploration of timeless love, profound loss, and the enduring strength of the human spirit. The speaker's love for Annabel Lee is portrayed as an all-consuming and unyielding bond, transcending the limitations of their youthful innocence. The repetition of phrases such as "In this kingdom by the sea," serves to create a sense of rhythm and structure, while also emphasizing the isolation of their love story in a distant and ethereal setting.

The overall tone of the poem is hauntingly melancholic, yet defiant. The speaker mourns the death of Annabel Lee, attributing it to the envy of celestial beings, and yet, asserts the invincibility of their love in the face of such adversity. The use of personification and celestial imagery, such as "the winged seraphs of heaven", underscores the grandeur and intensity of their love, which even the divine forces covet but cannot destroy. Meanwhile, the consistent reference to Annabel Lee as “the beautiful Annabel Lee” not only signifies the speaker's unwavering love and admiration for her, but also paints a vivid image of her in readers' minds, keeping her alive through the power of words.

In the final verses, the speaker's resolve is made apparent - their love is immortal, persisting beyond physical separation and even death. The recurring references to the moon, stars, and the sea serve to ground this undying love in the natural world, suggesting its elemental and eternal nature. The poem, therefore, not only serves as a lament for lost love but also a testament to the strength of human emotion and its ability to endure in the face of the inevitable cycle of life and death.