Summary and Analysis: Lines 21-41
Lines 21-26:
In this stanza, the speaker reiterates the belief that envious angels caused
Annabel Lee's death by sending a chilling wind from the cloudy sky. This
repetition underscores the central conflict of the poem: the loss of the
speaker's beloved. Line 21 employs alliteration with the letter h,
evoking the sound of blowing wind. The word "Yes," followed by an exclamation
mark, introduces a frantic tone that intensifies in the final stanzas. The
phrase "as all men know" in line 23 contributes to the poem's legendary
quality. The refrain reappears in line 24, and a rhyme link between "chilling"
and "killing" (lines 25 and 26) highlights the horror of Annabel Lee's death,
setting the stage for the speaker's desperate mourning in the last stanza.
Lines 27-29:
These lines continue to elevate the relationship between the speaker and his
bride by repeating the word "love" and asserting that their love surpasses that
of older and wiser individuals.
Lines 30-33:
In these lines, the speaker professes his unwavering loyalty to Annabel Lee, a
devotion that transcends death. The "angels" are depicted as jealous of the
profound love shared by the speaker and his bride. The phrase "demons down
under the sea" evokes the Greek myth of Andromeda, who is saved from a sea
monster by the hero Perseus. Notice the alliteration of the letter "d" in
"demon," "down," "under," and "dissever," which creates a heavy sound, and the
internal rhyme of "ever dissever," which adds a melodious effect. The
repetition of "soul" underscores the depth of the lovers' union. Richard Wilbur
has linked these lines to St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans, where in
chapter eight, St. Paul writes, "I am persuaded that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to
come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate
us from the love of God."
Lines 34-37:
The speaker provides evidence of his eternal love for Annabel Lee, stating that
the "moon" and the "stars" serve as celestial messengers that bring her love to
him through "dreams" and visions of her "eyes." Associating Annabel Lee with
these heavenly bodies immortalizes her and their love. Alliteration with the
consonant b is found in "beams," "bringing," "beautiful," "but," and
"bright." Internal rhyme is present in "beams" and "dreams" and in "rise" and
"eyes."
Lines 38-41:
In these lines, the speaker unveils the startling revelation that he visits
Annabel Lee's tomb every night, resting beside her. In line 39, he discloses
that Annabel Lee was his "bride." His profound love for her is expressed
through the repeated use of "my darling" and by declaring she is his "life."
The rhymes "tide," "side," and "bride" form an auditory connection between
lines 38 and 39. The final two lines, with their parallel structure—both
starting with "in her" and concluding with "the sea"—convey a strong sense of
closure. For some readers, the dual mention of Annabel Lee's burial place
("sepulchre" and "tomb") as the setting for this eternal union has an
unsettling effect, allowing the theme of death to dominate over the theme of
love in the poem.
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