Virginia Lucas Poetry Scrapbook

A Formal Description of "Annabel Lee"

     As a standard, “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe alternates between tetrameter and trimeter. The majority of stanzas contain six lines, but there are two stanzas of eight lines and one stanza of seven. Generally, a line in tetrameter will be composed of three anapests and a final iamb. A line in trimeter will often be composed of two anapests and a final iamb. However, Poe often breaks this pattern. In the first stanza, for instance, the second line (and the first in trimeter) is composed of a single opening anapest and two iambs. “Annabel Lee” cannot be described by any traditional form, although it certainly shares some similarities with the ballad meter. It could, however, be considered narrative.

     The rhyme scheme of “Annabel Lee” becomes complicated quickly. The first stanza follows an ABABCB rhyme scheme. This is the simplest progression of rhyme throughout the poem. Overall, the rhyme scheme is such: ABABCB DBEBFG ABGBHBIB FBABGB EBBEBJB KBLBMMBB. Just a glance at this simple map shows how many unrhymed lines occur within the poem. The only systematically continuous rhyme occurs with B. In fact, Poe uses the same four words to end these lines every time: “sea,” “Lee,” “me,” and “we.” These rhymes always occur at the end of lines in trimeter. When rhyme does occur, it is always masculine and pure.

     The frequency of “sea,” “Lee,” “me,” and “we” is not the only time Poe utilizes repetition in “Annabel Lee.” Poe frequently repeats the same word or phrase throughout the poem. In fact, these repetitions often occur within a single line. The opening stanza contains many examples of repetition, such as “many and many a year ago” and “to love and be loved by me.” Poe also uses repetition across multiple lines in this stanza, such as using the phrase “maiden lived” in both lines three and five.

     In “Annabel Lee,” Poe doesn’t restrict himself to end-line rhyme. Instead, he also uses rhyme within lines. A strong example of this can be found in the fifth stanza with the phrase “ever dissever my soul from the soul.” This line is also a strong example of repetition, as seen in the double use of the word “soul,” and alliteration of the /s/ sound. The final stanza of “Annabel Lee” has the most examples of internal line rhyme, with “stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes” and “the night-tide I lie down by the side.”

     Punctuation is relatively sparse throughout “Annabel Lee.” Commas often appear at the end of lines, but punctuation internal to lines is rare. In fact, there are only four instances of punctation outside of line-end commas in the entire poem. Two of these instances occur in the same line: “Yes! that is the reason (as all men know).” The other two punctuation marks used within lines are commas.