Poe's Women

Paper Summary:

This paper examines how Edgar Allan Poe's "The Raven," "Annabel Lee," and "The Fall of the House of Usher" all depict the tragic loss of young and beautiful women. Poe describes Lenore, Annabel Lee and Madeline as young and achingly beautiful and all three women die premature and tragic deaths. In "The Raven" and "Annabel Lee," Poe mourns their tragic loss, while in "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe is clearly simply horrified at the gruesome and tragic death and he is not so deeply wrought with grief over the loss of someone he loves. It considers how Poe's depictions of women in his literary work reflect his personal experiences with the premature deaths of his young and attractive wife and mother. Poe's depictions remain relevant to readers of all ages and nationalities, as they speak to the universal misery of tragic loss and mourning.

From the Paper:

"Poe's poem "Annabel Lee" recounts the perfect love of the narrator and his child bride Annabel Lee. As in the Raven, Poe delves into the tragic loss of a beautiful woman within the lines of "Annabel Lee". Annabel Lee's similarity in age to Poe's young real-life bride is striking, and the poem can be seen as a reflection of Poe's grief over the loss of his young wife. As in "The Raven", Poe focuses on the beauty of the young woman who dies tragically. The stars and the moon even remind the narrator of the young woman's beauty after her tragic death. "Annabel Lee" focuses primarily on the depth of the feelings of between the two young lovers, while "The Raven" focuses more clearly on the grief at the loss of the young woman. In "Annabel Lee", the narrator tells a tale of a kingdom by the sea, where both he and Annabel Lee lived, and that they "loved with a love that was more than love.""

More papers on Poe's Women:

• Term Paper # 98581 : "Edgar Allan Poe"
• Analytical Essay # 136373 : "Death, Female Characters and Edgar Allen Poe"
• Analytical Essay # 144895 : "Narrators in Edgar Allan Poe's Writing"

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