Student Question
What is the onomatopoeia in the poem "Annabel Lee"?
Quick answer:
The onomatopoeia in "Annabel Lee" includes sounds that mimic natural elements, such as the wind and waves. Examples include "chilling and killing," which evokes the hiss of the wind, and "sepulchre ... sea / ... sounding sea," suggesting the crash of waves. Additionally, the use of s's and v's in lines like "dissever my soul from the soul" enhances the auditory imagery.
While the most classic examples of onomatopoeia are words such as "bang" or "woof," in which an individual word sounds like the concept it signifies, we can also see onomatopoeia in individual sounds. In the case of "Annabel Lee," we can think about how Poe uses sounds in the text to call to mind the constant crash of the waves and the hiss of the wind. We can hear a bit of the wind in "chilling and killing" at the end of the forth stanza. Similarly, the head rhyme in the last two lines of "sepulchre ... sea / ... sounding sea" suggests again the sounds of the wind and the crash of the waves. You can also look at the s's and v's in "Can ever dissever my soul from the soul," as well as the effect of the v's, th's, and the s in "But we loved with a love that was more than love" and other lines.
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