Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe

This is the place for readers of poetry. Discuss poetry and literary art. You can also discuss music here, including lyrics. Also, you can discuss poets themselves, in addition to poetry.
User avatar
Karatics
Posts: 6
Joined: 22 Jun 2014, 19:43
Bookshelf Size: 0

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe

Post by Karatics »

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 wingèd 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 by the sea—
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Aelihe
Posts: 17
Joined: 23 Jun 2014, 05:06
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-aelihe.html

Post by Aelihe »

I bought a poetry book filled with Edgar Allen Poe's work. I had never read this one before and stumbled upon it while I was browsing through it. I love it so much! I used to read so many times so I could remember it.
User avatar
Fran
Posts: 28072
Joined: 10 Aug 2009, 12:46
Favorite Author: David Mitchell
Favorite Book: Anna Karenina
Currently Reading: Hide and Seek
Bookshelf Size: 1208
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-fran.html
Reading Device: B00I15SB16
fav_author_id: 3104

Post by Fran »

Annabel Lee always puts me in mind of Sinead O'Connor singing "I am stretched on your grave" .... loved the poem since schooldays
We fade away, but vivid in our eyes
A world is born again that never dies.
- My Home by Clive James
User avatar
Karatics
Posts: 6
Joined: 22 Jun 2014, 19:43
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by Karatics »

Aelihe wrote:I bought a poetry book filled with Edgar Allen Poe's work. I had never read this one before and stumbled upon it while I was browsing through it. I love it so much! I used to read so many times so I could remember it.
I am happy to have brought it to you! :D
toshilou
Posts: 106
Joined: 18 Jun 2014, 10:13
Favorite Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Favorite Book: The Fault in Our Stars
Currently Reading: The Night Circus
Bookshelf Size: 54
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-toshilou.html
Latest Review: "Outcast" by Marc Saville
fav_author_id: 5235

Post by toshilou »

The very first time I ever read this I was in seventh grade and I couldn't decide if I thought it was romantic or creepy. Either way, it's one of my favorite poems :)
Latest Review: "Outcast" by Marc Saville
User avatar
anomalocaris
Posts: 326
Joined: 24 Apr 2014, 01:14
Bookshelf Size: 3
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-anomalocaris.html
Latest Review: "Kaitlyn a Wants To See Ducks" by Jo meserve Mach and Vera Lynne Stroup- Rentier

Post by anomalocaris »

Creepy! Entirely creepy! But then, most of Poe's work was. I know he was a successful humorist before he became known for his horror, but it's hard to imagine.
You can't put a rope around the neck of an idea.
--Vol. Bobby Sands
Latest Review: "Kaitlyn a Wants To See Ducks" by Jo meserve Mach and Vera Lynne Stroup- Rentier
User avatar
Gravy
Gravymaster of Bookshelves
Posts: 39044
Joined: 27 Aug 2014, 02:02
Favorite Author: Seanan McGuire
Favorite Book: As many as there are stars in the sky
Currently Reading: The Ghost Tree
Bookshelf Size: 1027
fav_author_id: 3249

Post by Gravy »

anomalocaris wrote:Creepy! Entirely creepy! But then, most of Poe's work was. I know he was a successful humorist before he became known for his horror, but it's hard to imagine.
I don't feel like this poem is creepy at all. It's a romantic notion to me. Love lasts on forever.
As for not being able to imagine him as a humorist...comedy, in and of itself, is a tragedy.

"Funny had better be sad somewhere."-Jerry Lewis.

Comedians are some of the most dark and desturbed of us.
It takes alot of damage to make a person go " huh, I think I'll go make people laugh at me today".
Comedy, no matter how innocent, is a raw, bloody wound in the comedians life.

Just what I've observed.
Pronouns: She/Her

What is grief, if not love persevering?

Grief is just love with no place to go.
User avatar
librarianrat
Posts: 5
Joined: 22 Jan 2015, 22:42
Bookshelf Size: 0
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-librarianrat.html

Post by librarianrat »

Edgar Allen Poe, one of the writers on a very short list of mine that terrify me, although I do like his poems which is very peculiar because I don't really like to read poetry very much. I like this one very much though.
User avatar
DATo
Previous Member of the Month
Posts: 5762
Joined: 31 Dec 2011, 07:54
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by DATo »

One of my very favorite poems. I memorized it waaaaaaaaaaay back in high school and can still recite it perfectly.

Poe was truly a genius wordsmith. His poem, The Bells is universally considered the finest "sound poem" in the English language. It is appropriate that this forum is titled Poetry & Music where this poem (Annabel Lee) is concerned because its lyricism and meter approach the characteristics of music.
“I just got out of the hospital. I was in a speed reading accident. I hit a book mark and flew across the room.”
― Steven Wright
User avatar
PashaRu
Posts: 9174
Joined: 15 Mar 2014, 17:02
Currently Reading: Vicars of Christ - The Dark Side of the Papacy
Bookshelf Size: 191
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-pasharu.html
Latest Review: "Damn Females on the Lawn" by Rachel Hurd

Post by PashaRu »

Beautiful, beautiful poem. Haunting. Haven't read it in too long. Thanks for posting.
[Insert quote here. Read. Raise an eyebrow. Be mildly amused. Rinse & repeat.]
Latest Review: "Damn Females on the Lawn" by Rachel Hurd
User avatar
WillowReads
Posts: 8
Joined: 07 Oct 2014, 19:46
Bookshelf Size: 0

Post by WillowReads »

One of my faves. It's probably on my top 10 list...which is 40% Poe!
User avatar
Green Eyes 36
Posts: 26
Joined: 05 Feb 2015, 14:05
Favorite Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Favorite Book: Masque of the Red Death
Currently Reading: Captivated by You
Bookshelf Size: 18
fav_author_id: 4642

Post by Green Eyes 36 »

Edgar Allan Poe is my favorite author and Annabel Lee is my favorite poem of all time! I love it. Next week I start my next class, studies in poetry. I'm really looking forward to it. Annabel Lee is such a romantic poem. I've loved it since 7th grade. It's so beautiful.
User avatar
bluejay__way
Posts: 24
Joined: 26 Feb 2015, 15:41
Favorite Author: Edgar Allan Poe
Favorite Book: The Austere Academy
Currently Reading: The Green Mile
Bookshelf Size: 70
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bluejay-way.html
fav_author_id: 4642

Post by bluejay__way »

I love Edgar Allan Poe and I don't mean I'm just a fan of his work, no, no, I mean that if this man were to come to life, walk down the street, and still be recognizable, I probably wouldn't mind being bitten and turned into a zombie just for the sake of meeting him. I love this poem, and I soak up the joy of some band covering it as a song, which is why I too bought a book containing the words and poetry of Edgar Allan Poe.
It's just sad and messed up that it's about the death of his child bride who he'd been married to for thirteen years and whose life was taken by the very same disease that stole his first love, birth and adoptive mother away from him too.
User avatar
RStone
Posts: 32
Joined: 02 Mar 2015, 17:37
Bookshelf Size: 12
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-rstone.html
Latest Review: "Malevolent Shadows" by Abdul Sami

Post by RStone »

Though I've been a fan of Poe since I first stumbled upon 'The Black Cat' - I have to admit, it took me a while to learn to love this poem. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe something about the way it was being taught. But as the years have passed, it's become a favorite of mine. It's just so gorgeous and reads so beautifully aloud.
Latest Review: "Malevolent Shadows" by Abdul Sami
User avatar
tiffanynettles
Posts: 59
Joined: 05 Apr 2015, 22:46
Favorite Author: Tami Hoad
Bookshelf Size: 56
Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-tiffanynettles.html
Latest Review: "Fate Reborn" by Christina OW

Post by tiffanynettles »

Edgar Allen pose I one of favorite authors of all time, and this is is definitely one of his best poems. However, I have always liked "a dream within a dream" more. If you haven't read it then I would definetly recommend it. It is very short compared to most of his work, but it still gave me chills the first time I stumbled upon it.
Latest Review: "Fate Reborn" by Christina OW
Post Reply

Return to “Poetry & Music”