Comparing Poe's Annabel Lee And The Raven

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Born 1809 in Boston, Massachusetts, Edgar Allan Poe’s profound tales of mystery and horror have earned a unique spot in American literature. His unfortunate beginnings, combined with a passion for creative writing, have inspired his most famous works: “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven.” In “Annabel Lee,” a young man mourns the death of his soul mate—explaining the power of their love and extent of their separation. Similarly, “The Raven” follows an old man attempting to ease his sorrow after the death of his love, Lenore. The man is met by a raen who seems to offer advice regarding his situation. The raven offers advice Poe’s melancholy tone and incorporation of unique structure, vivid imagery, and figurative language convey a theme of depression …show more content…
For example, in “Annabel Lee,” the man convinces himself that his maiden lived with “no other thought/ Than to love and be loved” (6-8) by him. This exaggeration, or hyperbole, contributes to the man’s obsessive behavior. Furthermore, the speaker exaggerates “neither the angels in Heaven above/Nor the demons down under the sea/Can ever dissever my soul from the soul/Of the beautiful Annabel Lee” (37-39) to prove that their bond is unbreakable. Similarly, in “The Raven,” Poe utilizes simile to compare the tapping sound of the raven with the knocking of a man: “Wile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,/As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door,” (3-4). In addition, Poe personifies the raven as if he “spoke only/That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour,” (57-58). The man is somewhat entranced by the bird—viewing it as “stately” (38) and “with mien of a lord or lady” (40). This ability to understand the raven reveals the narrators slow decent into madness. Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee” and “The Raven” are reflective of his numerous hardships, particularly the loss of female figures. In fact, both poems directly parallel the deaths of his biological mother, foster mother, and wife. Just as his life ended in tragedy, Poe ends his tales with tragedy and depression. Through elaborate construction, imagery, and figurative language, Poe expresses the power abrupt death, particularly the process of mourning a young, beautiful
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