Edgar Allan Poe (19 January 1809 - 7 October 1849 / Boston)

I loved this poem from the start. I'm always loved poetry but I'm not an expert and I can't say what Edgar Allen Poe was trying to get across. What I do know is that when myself personally writes a poem, I do it for the fun of it, also in the hope of one day getting them published. I don't really care about my Poe wrote this beautiful peace of literature. I don't care about all the metaphores, or whatever. I simply want to read a poem about two people sharing a love that is so strong, it made the angels in heaven jealous. I just want to enjoy it.

I think this poem is really tring to reach out to people and tell everyone to never give up on love. don't be completely obsessed like Poe, but don't take life for granted like how the world has been. In my opinion this poem is perhaps the greatest peom ever.

The first go I had at this poem was with the impression that Poe was idealizing a young love and lamenting a loss, blaming heaven for taking her away and killing himself/or more darkly literally lying night by night in her tomb (sepulchre) in order to be with her. After reading the comments…I must agree that Poe conjures very vivid imagery and really seems to take you into his world but it is a very dark world. The “moon never beams…bringing dreams…stars never rise…bright eyes” are very romantic metaphors for any love poem, but lying down by the side of my bride in her tomb? Unless buried next to her in death, that is an unhealthy and very haunting thought. I would disagree that Poe is merely describing an obsession, perhaps in real life it was a one sided (unrequited) love by Poe for this “Annabel Lee” however in this poem Poe had control over what Annabel thought and felt and thus I believe he describes a love that was shared while both parties were alive. I agree with Ripper that “tomb” is meant to be taken literally…it is good to take a fresh look at a poet’s work to stand it on its own however I don’t believe one can ever truly separate themselves from a pattern of writing, least not completely.

However, to concede Jason’s point if we take the reference to sepulchre within the “kingdom by the sea” as less a burial place and more a place to contain her memory i.e. the home these two shared such as in a cottage by the sea. Then Poe might only be describing lying next to the memory of his beloved wife, in bed never able to forget her, because he considers the house a tomb (in her remembrance) this would make the entire poem much less dark though as I said before, my gut reaction to this poem was one in which he literally slept in a burial tomb…

No offense taken Jason. At least, not by me. Rachel seems fairly offended. I do however disagree with you. Even if 'tomb' is meant figuratively, the poem is still creepy. It is one thing to continue to love someone after death, a fine, noble, romantic thing. It is entirely something else to try to continue the relationship as if the death had not occured, or if death were not a sufficient barrier. Creepy. Horror. I repeat: this is what Poe did.
Yes, I am partially basing my interpretation of this poem upon his other works. With reason. Sorrow and despair that unhinges reason was a common theme of his. I refer you to 'The Haunted Palace', and 'A Dream Within A Dream'. Poe himself was a very depressed, lonely man, and his poetry and short fiction reflects this. Love, to him, was another source of pain, and if the pain was not quite enough to snap his sanity, certainly he could imagine it happening to his characters.
Still, I also believe that a poem contains what the reader finds in it. So if to you, Jason, and you, Rachel, this is a love poem, even if you disagree on the particulars, then it is a love poem.
To you.

I THINK THAT THIS POEM EXPRESSES THE TRUE MEANING OF BEING IN LOVE! IF HE WAS WILLING TO GO AND SLEEP IN A TOMB FOR HIS BRIDE THEN YOU KNOW THAT THESE TWO WERE REALLY IN A TRUE AND HEART-FILLED RELATIONSHIP! I DISAGREE WITH THAT JASON GUY WHO THINKS THAT THIS IS AN EXGERATION OF LOVE IT IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT I HOPE THAT HE READS THIS COMMENT SO HE KNOWS HOW I FEEL ABOUT HIM AND THAT HEART-BREAKING STATEMENT OF HIS! ! ! !

Ripper Moore
I believe that you have taken this poem a bit too far. you seem to be convinced that he means literally in her 'tomb.' don't you think that he would love her enough to not be lieing down in the tomb next to her...i believe this part of the stanza
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.'
i think this is figuretively speaking, and i also believe you have greatly misinterpreted the poems meaning partially based on the rest of his writings.
hope i didn't offend
-me

Reading the other comments on this poem leads me to believe most of them missed the message. Yes, it is beautiful. Yes, it speaks of love. It also speaks of someone so obsessed and paranoid that he accuses angels of killing his girlfriend out of envy, and goes to sleep in her tomb, next to her rotting corpse, every night. Edgar Allan Poe was best known as a horror writer. This poem is subtle, creepy, dark, HORROR. Having said that, I have always maintained that any poem potentially contains more meaning than the author perhaps meant to convey. Therefore someone who gets a romantic love story out of this may be just be seeing something in it I do not. I suppose. But I think Poe was fairly explicit when he said 'I lie down by the side of my darling... In her TOMB by the sounding sea.' Mind, I love this poem too. Love to read it, love to recite it to any one who will hold still, the dark passion he infuses the verses with is very moving. It distresses me however, that so many people seem to have read it without really reading it.

i had to do a report on thiss for school report suckedd eggs but poem was great

This is one of the most wonderful poem i have read. Its great not just in form, rhym and content. It is flowing with a burning passion and devotion with the silence of the sea echoing with an undyingLOVE AND FAITH for the beautiful Anabelle lee.

This is my most favorite poem of all poems. it is touching, and i could read it over and over again without being bored. it is the most lovly poem, of how a man dreads losing the person who is most special to him. I love this poem and i love to read over and over again.