ANNABEL LEE It was many and many a year ago, In a kingdom…
““ANNABEL LEE 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 wingéd 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 kinsmen 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 her sepulchre there””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
A poet mourns a lost lover, believing their love was so pure that even celestial beings envied it, and asserts that death cannot separate their souls.
In simple terms: Love endures beyond death; the poet feels eternal connection with his beloved.
Key Takeaway
Cherish love deeply, even in loss.
Themes
love
death
eternity
grief
jealousy
Mood
melancholic
nostalgic
reverent
Type
poetic
lament
romantic
When to use this quote
- funeral rites
- memorials
- personal reflection
- writing about loss
- comforting the bereaved
Key Concepts
romanticism
transcendence
mourning
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we honor lost loved ones while continuing to live?
- What does it mean to love someone beyond death?
A Different Perspective
The poem idealizes love, overlooking the natural process of grief and the need for moving forward.