Page 76 - 100 Best Loved Poems - Teaching Unit

“Annabel Lee”
by Edgar Allan Poe, pages 58-59

Vocabulary
seraphs – angels
coveted – envied
dissever – fully separate

1. What is the effect of the constant repetition in the poem—especially the repetition of
Annabel Lee’s name?

Answers may vary. Example: The constant repetition makes the poem song-like, like a
ballad or dirge. The repetition of Annabel Lee’s name in particular suggests the narrator’s
all-pervading preoccupation with her.

2. Why do you think Poe chose to put Annabel Lee’s name in all capital letters?

Answers may vary. Example: The capitalization emphasizes the near-mythic stature
Annabel Lee has attained in the speaker’s mind.

3. According to the speaker, why did Annabel Lee die?

Annabel Lee died because the angels coveted the perfect love relationship she had with the
speaker.

T-58