The tone and setting of this poem encourage readers to question the reliability of the speaker's memories of his deceased beloved. Beginning with the first line, the speaker admits to recounting events that happened "many and many years ago." The repeated use of "many" highlights the significant passage of time since Annabel Lee's death. This prompts readers to be skeptical, as memories, especially those that are fond, often become romanticized over time. In the third stanza, the poem again emphasizes the substantial time gap between the events described and the speaker's current viewpoint. This makes it even more difficult to believe that his short, youthful romance was as pure and beautiful as he asserts. If he were discussing a recent love lost due to angels' jealousy, or if he reflected daily on a lover who died just a year ago, his obsession might be seen as intense but typical grief. However, given the time that has passed, it's probable that he is reacting to an embellished memory of Annabel Lee rather than the actual relationship he experienced.

The sea is used as a metaphor for memory. It is linked to the life the speaker shared with Annabel Lee, as they lived together in a kingdom by the sea. It is also associated with her death, with the speaker mentioning twice in the final lines that her body lies beside the sea. As a vast, mysterious element often linked with enigma and danger, the sea effectively symbolizes the past—an enticing yet treacherous force for the speaker. In line 31, he envisions demons that might disturb his memory of Annabel Lee—those who might "dissever" his soul from hers—dwelling beneath the sea.

Similar to many of Edgar Allan Poe's stories and poems, "Annabel Lee" delves into the deep human struggle to comprehend life following the irreversible disruption caused by death. In this poem, the speaker is so consumed by his grief that he alters reality to find a justifiable reason for her passing. The poem does not provide readers with a physical or medical cause for her death, except for a "chill" that befell her, because to the speaker, simple physical explanations seem inadequate to destroy a love as immense as the one he remembers. Instead, the poem hints that angels, envious of the couple's joy, uncharacteristically took her life out of jealousy. This explanation allows the narrator to make sense of the arbitrary nature of illness and death by attributing it to a specific cause; he needs this reasoning to avoid facing the possibility that his love might not have been strong enough to prevent her death. Indeed, he cannot accept death as a final separation from his beloved and believes they remain connected, which might be true psychologically for him, though there's no way to know if the deceased shares this feeling. The scenario in this poem is more psychologically real than anything else, making death—a definitive and unchangeable boundary in reality—a suitable tool for Poe's style of writing.

The narrator of this poem presents himself as an underdog, constantly struggling against those who use their higher social standing to challenge him throughout his romantic relationship. At the beginning, he hints that society disapproved of his bond with Annabel Lee due to their youth, emphasizing she and I to highlight their united front against the opposition, likely from adults. If, as many critics suggest, this poem mirrors Poe's relationship with his cousin Virginia Clemm, he has altered the facts to reinforce this theme of resistance: despite Virginia being only thirteen when they wed, Poe was twenty-seven. By portraying himself as a child, he positions both himself and Annabel Lee in opposition to the adult world.

As the poem progresses, the opposition shifts to the angels, who are jealous of the couple's greater joy compared to their own in heaven. These angels, clearly from a higher and more privileged realm than two children on Earth, are accused by the narrator of causing Annabel Lee's death. After her passing, her body is taken by "her high-born kinsmen." Though not directly stated, it is implied that the narrator is prevented from seeing his deceased love or attending her funeral due to social class barriers. The love story in this poem encounters resistance from formidable forces—adults, angels, and the upper social class. The enduring love of the young couple, despite all these challenges, demonstrates its strength and resilience.

In the haunting verses of "Annabel Lee," the reader is drawn into the poignant exploration of a love that endures beyond the grave. The speaker’s unwavering devotion to Annabel Lee raises a compelling question: does this steadfast love signify the epitome of romantic commitment, or does it reveal the speaker's descent into madness? The words themselves offer a dual interpretation, allowing room for both perspectives. On one hand, the speaker embodies the ideal of an eternal lover, refusing to let death sever the bond shared with Annabel Lee. Yet, when viewed through the broader lens of Edgar Allan Poe’s literary universe, this devotion takes on a darker tone, echoing the themes of obsession and insanity that frequently permeate his work. As such, the speaker's narrative may well be construed as the unsettling tale of a mind unraveling in the face of loss, rather than a simple testament to enduring love.

The poem begins with the structured simplicity of a traditional ballad. The speaker's tone is initially calm, and his language is straightforward, reflecting a sense of order. However, as the first stanza unfolds and reaches its fifth line, this very control begins to unravel.

In an unexpected twist, the poet deviates from the conventional ballad stanza by adding two extra lines. This disruption in form mirrors a shift in content that catches the reader off guard, particularly upon a second reading. While it might seem logical for the speaker to declare his love for the maiden early on, setting the scene and introducing the characters, he instead emphatically states that "this maiden she lived with no other thought/ Than to love and be loved by me." This insistence underscores a singular devotion, suggesting that their love exists in isolation, untouched by the outside world.

In the landscape of intense emotion, the speaker’s declaration that "no other thought" occupied Annabel Lee’s mind but him underscores a fervent blend of desire and desperation. When such language pivots from being a reflection of one's own passion to an assertion about another's unwavering devotion, it begins to echo the tones of wishful thinking. This emotional intensity becomes even more palpable as paranoia weaves through the narrative, particularly in the second through fifth stanzas. Here, the speaker perceives the world around him as a hostile force conspiring to sever his bond with Annabel Lee.

The narrative takes on a fantastical dimension, where celestial beings are portrayed not as benevolent, but as envious entities. The angels, according to the speaker, are so consumed by jealousy that they orchestrate Annabel Lee's demise. This belief isolates the speaker further, as he claims "all men" are aware of this celestial conspiracy. His conviction in this cosmic malevolence reflects a profound sense of alienation and loss.

When Annabel Lee’s "highborn kinsmen" conduct the solemn duty of entombing her, a natural and respectful rite, the speaker's perception is distorted by grief. He can only view their actions through a lens of personal betrayal, seeing their duty as an act of separation designed to deprive him of his beloved. This fixation on perceived threats from both heaven and earth amplifies the tragic dimensions of his mourning, transforming what might have been a simple tale of love and loss into a haunting portrait of paranoia intertwined with grief.

Grief often follows a predictable pattern, easing as time passes from the moment of loss. However, this is not the experience of the speaker in the poem "Annabel Lee." The tragedy of her death seems to have arrested him in perpetual mourning, despite the passage of “many and many a year.” Such prolonged sorrow raises questions about the speaker's ability to heal. At first glance, his words might seem like the typical lamentations of someone who has lost their beloved. Only upon deeper reflection does the depth of his fixation become apparent.

The speaker's narrative initially conveys a profound, if sorrowful, affection for Annabel Lee. His lamentations are powerful yet not alarming until the poem's sixth stanza unveils a more disturbing reality. Here, his attachment transcends the bounds of conventional mourning and enters the realm of the macabre, as he confesses to spending his nights lying beside Annabel Lee’s lifeless body. His declarations that she remains his “darling” and his “life” illustrate a refusal to accept her death fully. This revelation underscores a profound inability to move forward, hinting at a deeper psychological turmoil masked by his romantic expressions.