Annabel Lee | Essays and Criticism

  • Poe's Inspiration for "Annabel Lee"

    In the following essay, Jeannine Johnson argues that what inspired Poe to compose "Annabel Lee " was not his affection for any one person but his interest in contemplating the general nature of beauty and love.

  • Verbal Excesses of "Annabel Lee"

    In this essay, the author examines whether the verbal excesses of "Annabel Lee" are justified, or if the poem is just an exercise in cleverness for its own sake.

  • Mrs. Osgood's "The Life-Voyage" and "Annabel Lee"

    In this essay, John E. Reilly disputes the contention of Buford Jones and Kent Ljungquist that Frances Sargent Osgood's poem "The Life-Voyage. A Ballad" served as the model for Poe's "Annabel Lee."

  • Poe, Mrs. Osgood, and "Annabel Lee"

    In this essay, Buford Jones and Kent Ljungquist argue that Frances Sergent Osgood's "The Life-Voyage" served as the model for Poe's "Annabel Lee."

  • A Note on "Annabel Lee"

    In this brief essay, Julienne H. Empric delves into the psychological factors driving the poem's narrator.