Summary and Analysis: Lines 21-41

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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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Summary and Analysis: Lines 1-20

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