Jennifer Rushing
11­23­14
2­A

Choice #2 In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem, “Annabel Lee”, elements of romanticism are clearly present .The poem’s setting has many romantic factors, as its simple description as “a kingdom by the sea” is ambiguous in location and has a sense of loneliness. No specific details are revealed about the kingdom, further shrouding it in mystery, until toward the end when the speaker offers the reader the morbid visual of the sepulchre where Annabel’s body was immured. Throughout the poem the speaker’s feelings are taking precedence over logic, which can be seen in the line, “
With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven coveted her and me.”
The speaker believes that his relationship with Annabel was worthy of being envied by angels.
As the speaker laments Annabels death we begin to understand how fixated, almost obsessed, with her. The speaker is reminded of Annabel by practically everything he sees, as seen in the line, “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…”. But despite the efforts of the angels, the speaker and Annabel still shared an impassioned relationship even in death. Supernatural elements are also a staple in romantic literature. The angels and seraphs are atypically depicted as the antagonists of the poem. They become envious of the speaker and Annabel’s relationship and attempt,