1. Sample Poetry Analysis

2. 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 winged 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 kinsman came
And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a sepulcher 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.

3. 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 the sepulcher there by the sea, In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Edgar Allan Poe

4. Autobiographical Reference
In the poem “Annabel Lee,” written by Edgar Allan Poe, the poet describes a great love that is suddenly taken away from him. He goes on to explain that not even death can take him away from his love. By examining Poe’s life, one discovers that Poe’s young wife, Virginia, suffered from tuberculosis. Poe immediately knew that she would die and wrote “Annabel Lee” as Virginia lay dying in the other room. According to the poem, “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.” The poem would become Poe’s promise to his dying wife that he would always love her, even in death.
Red = Title, poet, brief summary
Blue = Biographical point
Green = quote that supports biographical point

5. Literary Devices
Throughout “Annabel Lee,” Poe uses a number of literary devices, including imagery and hyperbole. Imagery is the use of language that appeals to the five senses. According to Poe, “And this was the reason that, long ago,/In his kingdom by the sea,/A wind blew out of a cloud by night/Chilling my Annabel Lee.” By using the word “Chilling,” Poe allows the reader to feel the physical pain Annabel Lee had experienced, and ultimately the emotional pain experience by the speaker. The second device that Poe uses is a hyperbole, which is an extreme exaggeration. As stated in the poem, “But we loved with a love that was more than love…” Poe uses a hyperbole to explain the unique depth and strength of the love between the narrator and Annabel Lee – a love that transcended the very definition of love.
Red = Definition of device
Blue = Demonstration of device
Green = Why did the poet use the device?

6. Theme
In all forms of literature, a theme is a message about life demonstrated within a work. In “Annabel Lee” Edgar Allan Poe’s theme is that an eternal love cannot be stopped by anything, including death. As stated in the poem, “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.” Although the title character did die, the narrator, who may represent Poe, vowed that the love would never die.
Red = Theme
Blue = Quote demonstrating theme
Green = Explanation of quote

7. Final Product
In the poem “Annabel Lee,” written by Edgar Allan Poe, the poet describes a great love that is suddenly taken away from him. He goes on to explain that not even death can take him away from his love. By examining Poe’s life, one discovers that Poe’s young wife, Virginia, suffered from tuberculosis. Poe immediately knew that she would die and wrote “Annabel Lee” as Virginia lay dying in the other room. According to the poem, “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.” The poem would become Poe’s promise to his dying wife that he would always love her, even in death.
Throughout “Annabel Lee,” Poe uses a number of literary devices, including imagery and hyperbole. Imagery is the use of language that appeals to the five senses. According to Poe, “And this was the reason that, long ago,/In his kingdom by the sea,/A wind blew out of a cloud by night/Chilling my Annabel Lee.” By using the word “Chilling,” Poe allows the reader to feel the physical pain Annabel Lee had experienced, and ultimately the emotional pain experience by the speaker. The second device that Poe uses is a hyperbole, which is an extreme exaggeration. As stated in the poem, “But we loved with a love that was more than love…” Poe uses a hyperbole to explain the unique depth and strength of the love between the narrator and Annabel Lee – a love that transcended the very definition of love.
In all forms of literature, a theme is a message about life demonstrated within a work. In “Annabel Lee” Edgar Allan Poe’s theme is that an eternal love cannot be stopped by anything, including death. As stated in the poem, “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.” Although the title character did die, the narrator, who may represent Poe, vowed that the love would never die.