Essay: Exploring Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabel Lee and Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnets from the Portuguese.

Infinite undying love
Edgar Allen Poe’s parents were both paid actors who worked for a theatrical company
that displayed work from its own collection for consistent yet temporary sessions. The
acting company would exhibit one piece before moving on to the next. Poe’s time with
his parents was short lived as they both died before he reached the tender age of 3. Poe
was taken in by John Allan, a well off Exporter from Richmond, Virginia. Poe lived with
Allan for years but the adoption was never substantiated. Poe had access to a great
education while living with Allen and even attended the University of Virginia. Poe’s
time in college, but that was cut short due to financial instability even though Allan was
said to have been prosperous in his field. Soon after, Poe enlisted in the Army and wrote
poetry as well. Poe eventually moved back to his home town of Baltimore with his aunt
and Cousin Virginia. Poe received a position back in Virginia and asked his cousin and
Aunt to live there with him. A couple of years later, Poe married his cousin who was only
half his age. In 1847, Virginia died young from TB. Their love and her death was said to
have been the inspiration behind the character Annabelle Lee. Poe passed away on
October 7, 1849. Some believe that he was robbed and attacked as he left a tavern, which
resulted in his death. Others say that Poe Passed away from reasons unknown. However,
he received more notoriety after his passing and his work is presently reviewed all over
the world to date. (in text Citation)
Elizabeth Barret Browning was born to a father who gained his riches from sugar
plantations in Jamaica. Ironically, Browning utilized her pen as a conduit to write poetry
that addresses social injustices like the American Slave trade and Children’s labor in the
mines of England which inspired the work of The Cry of The Children. Elizabeth was
endearingly known as Ba. Browning was one of eleven children. Unlike her siblings, she
immersed herself in books and plays like Shakespeare’s Othello and Tempest when she
wasn’t joining her siblings, riding ponies and putting on theatrical shows amongst other
leisure’s, which were afforded to wealthy children. Browning started writing very young
and in her later years was said to be one of England’s “most original and young poets”
Barrett was wealthy in her adult years and by 1844 was known as one of England’s
Greatest Living Poets in spite of suffering from health issues incurred from an accident in
her childhood. September 12, 1846 Elizabeth married Poet Browning and moved to Italy
for in hopes that warmer weather would assist in better health for Elizabeth. Elizabeth’s
love for Browning is the known inspiration for the Sonnets of the Portuguese. In 1849
they had their only son Robert Wiedemann Barret Browning whom his parents
affectionately nick-named pen (I’m assuming all pun intended). Elizabeth died from a
cold on June 29,1861 in the arms of her beloved husband’s arms. The Sonnets of the
Portuguese are still in the hands of readers today.
Edgar Allen Poe’s “Annabel Lee and Elizabeth Barret Browning’s Sonnets from the love
of Portuguese How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Two poems with a singular
theme of Immortal Love that surpasses all boundaries. Both the dead and the living share
in this exchange. An undying love that last forever. Everlasting, unchanging, eternal and
unending. A love surpassing all bounds even Death. Edgar Allen Poe’s Annabel Lee and
Elizabeth Barret Browning Sonnets from the love of Portuguese How do I love Thee Let
Me count The Ways employ repetition, Hyperbole, and Personification, to bring to life
their message of Infinite undying love.
Edgar Allen Poe uses repetition to express the feeling of love to his beloved Annabel as
well as the reader. Thus, the poet uses this figurative device of repetition to “drive” the
notion of love. He makes a point of Calling his love’s name in each Stanza of the poem.
The name Annabelle is arranged differently in each stanza of the poem as if the speaker is
expressing that as all of their love has spilled over and through his words on paper.
Everything that is written is surrounded around Annabel Lee. The Speaker uses the
possessive word My in Stanza 3 Line 16 ‘My beautiful Annabel Lee” (16) The speaker
does this again in Stanza 4 line 26. Chilling and Killing My Annabel Lee. (26) and once
again in stanza 6 Line (39) of my darling-my darling- my life and my bride, (39) This
possessiveness expresses an obsession with the speaker’s lover. The speaker also repeats
the phrase Kingdom by the sea. The Kingdom by the sea sets the tone of a fairy tale. The
kingdom being by the sea reiterates the cold and chilling Tone of the Poem and the chill
that attempted to separate the speaker from his lover. “Killing and chilling my Annabel
Lee.” Annabel was taken away from him by her family and also by nature itself. So, the
speaker in Annabel Lee has been double-crossed. However, he defies them both by
laying down by the side of Annabel Lee even possibly placing himself with her inside of
her sepulcher.
Elizabeth browning’s use of repetition displays the image of a love sick person who is
telling his/her beloved that he/she loves him/her over and over again. People in love
always want to know how much they are loved. All humans, and some animals crave
love. We sometimes devise ways to gain validation. Think of the dog or cat who puts his
or her nose under the hand of its owner so that he/she can get a pat on the head or a rub.
Browning Repeats I love thee in 7 out of the 14 lines of the poem as evidenced in lines 1,
2,5,7,8,9, and 12.
Edgar Allen Poe’s use of hyperbole takes the simple emotion of love and exasperates it
through the use of figurative language. The love that each poet expresses is almost like
that of the love of God or Line34 For the sun never beams without bringing me dreams.
Agape love is the unconditional love that only God has for his children. It is usually at a
funeral where we romanticize our relationship with the deceased. They never discuss or
focus on the negative or nagging parts of their loved one, that we all feel from time to
time. Instead they refer to the aim of their affection in positive ways throughout each
poem. Line36 For the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes is where hyperbole is used
to exaggerate the capability of things that are quite ordinary. For example, the wind in
Annabel Lee is given the capability to kill her and take the love of his life away from the
persona. Some critics have said that Annabel Lee died of what we now consider to be the
common cold. However, Poe was writing about a different time in history when few
medical innovations and medicines were relied on for relieving and recovering from
sickness and/or disease.
Elizabeth Barret Browning uses the hyperbole to express her nonjudgmental, pure,
innocent and powerful love. Lines 5 and 6 The Speaker says I love thee to the level of
every day’s quietest need, (5-6) This is a love that people crave, but have a difficult time
displaying to others. The Speaker expresses in lines12-14 I Love thee with the breath, /
smile, tears of all my life., and If God choose. / I shall but love thee better after death (12-
14) The Speaker is stating that her love will Continue to flourish to new depths and even
in a physical death her love will get even better. As stated earlier,it is at funerals and
memorial services that present day people speak positively about the deceased as they
tend to prefer to remember the more positive aspects of the deceased life. In that matter,
we too romanticize our love to make it immortal.
Edgar Allen Poe’s literary device of personification found in lines 25and 26 discuss and
emphasize that the wind came out Killing and chilling my Annabelle Lee. The wind is a
force of nature that cannot be controlled by man. Yet, Poe allows the wind to have two
identities here. One is that of a human as only humans and animals kill by force. The
other is that of its natural state. Therefore, the wind in Poe’s poem is extraordinary. It is
a double threat which may explain why the persona has such an acrimonious attitude. He
has been defiled by Annabel’s family and by nature, so he is going to get revenge on
“Mother nature” and her family by staying by Annabel’s side.
Elizabeth Browning’s literary use of personification found in lines2 and 3 I love thee to
the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. (2-3) Browning allows the soul to go
beyond its normal capacity and abilities by traveling to the height, depth and breadth of
existence. The soul is housed by a human body, but it is the brain that tells the rest what to do.
Thus, Browning gives the soul the power to go wherever it needs in order to have this love that
is so great. It is as though Browning has put the soul in control.
Conclusion
Both Edgar Allen Poe and Elizabeth Browning do a great job of using the figurative
devices of repetition, hyperbole, and personification to portray the theme of an undying
infinite love. I found both poems to portray realistic relationships, as I have the ability to
identify with the authors. Like Edgar Allen Poe I have been separated from my lover. Not
because of a physical death but more of a spiritual death. When we love, we love so
deeply. The encounters are passionate yet debilitating to our individual purpose. Not
even distance or time can separate me from smelling my husband’s scent in the wind or
closing my eyes and dreaming about his smile. Though life goes on and there is work to
be done, my heart mourns my marriage as I type these words. Yet, I have become numb
to the sadness that I feel. Reading these poems reiterates the reality that our love will not
die and our connection will not fade. Our love birthed two boys in which we are now
responsible. Our SUNS! The little beacons of hope that we got right! I love my sons with
the intensity and passion I feel for my husband. Though I carry his name and wear his
ring, I mourn my marriage. I know that my husband will be better off without me, but I
still have the opportunity to bask in a love that was genuine and true. I close my eyes and
reminisce of the bliss of our undying, boundless Love, for it too does not and will not die.