An analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee Research Paper

An analysis of Edgar Allan Poes Annabel Lee - Research Paper Example This all-encompassing love filled Annabel Lee’s mind when she was still alive as stated in the line, â€Å"And this maiden she lived with no other thought/ Than to love and be loved by me† (Poe, â€Å"Annabel Lee,† lines 5-6). The line clearly states that there was nothing else that Annabel Lee thought of other than this love the author had for her. Although this may simply be a mere exaggeration on the part of the poet, still the line emphasizes the greatness of such a love and the idea that this love probably inspired most of Annabel Lee’s daily life prior to her death. Furthermore, this love shared by Annabel Lee and the poet when the former was still alive was one shared mutually. All that Annabel Lee thought of was â€Å"to love and be loved† by the poet (6), which means that she did want to show him her love but at the same time, she expected him to do the same to her. In short, this love was not one of a sacrifice where only one would love th e other. Moreover, Poe affirms this mutual love when he says, â€Å"But we loved with a love that was more than love† (9). The first mention of the word â€Å"love† was the great love the author believed he and Annabel Lee shared while the second mention of the word â€Å"love† was somehow the kind of mediocre love he believed was shared by other people. Although, in the second stanza, there was a hint of childishness in the love that the poet shared with Annabel Lee for â€Å"I was a child and she was a child† (7), Poe assures the reader that this is nothing childish. He specifically counters this argument regarding childish love in the fifth stanza as he says, â€Å"But our love was stronger by far than the love/ Of those who were older than we-/ of many far wiser than we-† (27-28). From this line, the reader is made to believe that both the poet and Annabel Lee could love better and so much more than even the old and the wise. Furthermore, it wa s to be proven later on in the poem that indeed this love is something extraordinary and greater than death. This great, all-encompassing love is indeed put to the test when â€Å"A wind blew out of a cloud,/ [and chilled] my beautiful Annabel Lee† (15-16). The death is the test of their love, but far from this idea of a test, the poet believes that this is more of a result of envy on the part of fate, represented by the angels: â€Å"The angels, not half so happy in heaven,/ Went envying her and me-† (21-22). The envy must have been caused by the great pride both the poet and Annabel Lee shared when it came to their love when the latter was still alive. Nevertheless, although the reader may not be able to distinguish whether the poet’s love for the dead Annabel Lee is one brought about by pride or true love, it remains clear that his love for someone dead is just all the same as the one when she was still alive. Although there is no more clue as to whether this love is still mutually shared by the poet and the dead Annabel Lee, this love remains to be strong. Poe proves this by stating his convictions in the line, â€Å"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† (30-33). The mention of the word â€Å"soul† may suggest suicide on the part of the poet but it may