In the poem "Annabel Lee," the highborn kinsmen are Annabel Lee's relatives—probably her father and her brothers, since it normally would be close relations who take a dead body away for burial in a sepulchre. Because the speaker refers to them as "highborn," he probably is of a lower status than they are. This suggests his less exalted status may have caused problems for the two lovers.

Whoever they are exactly, these relatives, along with the chill wind the jealous angels sent, represent an obstacle between Annabel and the speaker. They took her away from him, just as the chill wind did—as the speaker says, they "bore her away from me." They don't seem to acknowledge that her lover has any rights of access to her or any reason to mourn her.

The "highborn kinsmen" are Annabel Lee's relatives. We are not told why they disapprove of the speaker's relationship with Annabel Lee, but we can infer that he is from a lower socioeconomic class. After Annabel Lee's death, her relatives take possession of her remains and won't even allow the speaker to attend her funeral.

Some scholars believe this poem is about Poe's love for and marriage to his cousin Virginia Clemm. Their families objected to their relationship not only because they were cousins but also because of the difference in their ages: he was 27 and she was 13!

See the eNote discussion of themes in the poem.