My Annabel Lee



It was many- not too many years ago
In this life being lived by me
That a maiden I bore whom we adore
By the name of Annabel Lee;
As a baby she lived with no other thought
Than to fuss and occupy me.

She was a child, not quiet or mild,
(As early teething was she!)
But my love for this dove was no simple love
That for my Annabel Lee -
No, consuming love- maternal love-
Had taken over me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this life being lived by me,
A mighty sense of independence
Emerged in my Annabel Lee;
So that her far-flung fancies came
And bore her away from me,
She’s not gone astray; just borne away
From this life being lived by me.

Often contrary, my teen adversary
Forever challenging me
Yes!  That is the reason (of course, I know,
In this life being lived by me)
Her own point of view emerged as she grew
Headstrong, before long- my Annabel Lee.

But my love it is stronger by far than the love
Of some who are less sure than me-
Of many less trusting than me-
And neither friends or her highest ambitions
Nor proclivity to remain free
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

For wherever her dreams, carry her and the
schemes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
She’ll be back somewise and I’ll feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And I hope that each year, there’s a social call here
From my darling- my darling- my daughter, my dear,
In her life separated from me-
In her life once nurtured by me.

About this poem

I named my daughter after Poe’s Annabel Lee, so it seemed only fitting that she should have her own version, and one in which she is not deceased!

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on April 17, 2023

Submitted by Laurelmlee on April 27, 2023

1:31 min read
67

Quick analysis:

Scheme aBxbxb xbcbcb aBxbxbxb bbaBxb cbbxbxB xxBxBxxbb
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,477
Words 305
Stanzas 6
Stanza Lengths 6, 6, 8, 6, 7, 9

Laurel M. Lee

When I was little, my grandfather had me believing I'd be a famous poet someday. Of course, life never turns out the way you plan, does it? Still, I do have a litle fun with it from time to time. This first contest submission of mine today is the first one I've written in several years, and I only wrote it because a friend's gift inspired me. I could never stick to the rules of the various poetry styles, but have always enjoyed the ones that rhyme. I've long been a fan of Edgar Allan Poe's "Annabel Lee" and John Masefield's "Sea Fever". Having been born in Alaska, I also love Robert Service's "Cremation of Sam McGee". I have a two teenagers and my husband and I will celebrate our 20th anniversary this year. more…

All Laurel M. Lee poems | Laurel M. Lee Books

9 fans

Discuss the poem My Annabel Lee with the community...

1 Comment
  • michaelw.64270
    I love this one.
    LikeReply7 months ago
    • Laurelmlee
      Thanks. I did too. Didn’t generate a lot of interest, but I had to try it. How could I not, right? And I also liked the way it turned out. I tried to follow Poe’s poem as much as possible, while still staying true to our own story. Annabel didn’t care for it though- thought it was too negative. She’s my “Mistress Mary, Quite Contrary”!  
      LikeReply7 months ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"My Annabel Lee" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/158688/my-annabel-lee>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

March 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
3
days
10
hours
21
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
From which London landmark did Wordsworth celebrate the view in his poem beginning: "Earth has not any thing to show more fair..."
A Westminster Bridge
B Hampstead Heath
C The Tower of London
D Waterloo Sunset