Edgar Allen Poe’s “Annabel Lee” concerns a speaker who falls in love and discusses life with his love even after death. Throughout the poem, Poe focuses on love even after death. He does this through literary techniques such as imagery, rhythm and rhyme, and symbolism.
Long ago, in the poem “Annabel Lee”, lived Annabel Lee, who loved the narrator. Both she and the narrator were children but knew love more powerful than that of the angels, who envied them. A wind chilled and killed Annabel, but their love was too strong to be defeated by angels or demons. The narrator is reminded of Annabel Lee by everything, including the moon and the stars, and at night, he lies by her tomb by the sea.
To begin with, throughout the whole poem, Poe uses lots of imagery. For example, he says “the kingdom by the sea” (stanza 1, line 2 Edgar Allen Poe). Poe implies that the kingdom by the sea is a bright, cheerful place, where the sun shines on the two young lovers. Also, Poe emphasizes another point with light imagery implying “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 Annabel Lee” (stanza 6, line 34-41). What he means by this is that he remains in the realm of light, and so doesn’t the soul of Annabel Lee.
Despite Poe’s use of imagery, he also uses rhythm and rhyme quiet frequently throughout the poem. First, Poe uses a long “e” sound. For example, in the first stanza, line 2 ends with sea, line 4 ends with Lee, and line 6 ends with me. He repeats this throughout the whole poem to create a pattern/ rhythm.
In addition to imagery, rhyme and rhythm, Edgar Allen Poe also uses a form of symbolism. What Poe symbolizes in the poem is for one, Annabel Lee. She was the main figure being spoken of in the poem, but she could also be a symbol of a rare, pure, and tender love. What is also symbolized in Annabel Lee is Eternal Love, and death. There love continues on no matter the