Who wrote the poem 'Annabel Lee'?

Edgar Allan Poe wrote the poem “Annabel Lee.” It was the last complete poem Poe composed, written in 1849 shortly before his death and published posthumously that same year.

The poem tells of a love so powerful that the narrator believes angels became jealous and caused Annabel Lee’s death. Its central themes—idealized love, grief, death, and remembrance—echo Poe’s recurring portrayal of the beautiful dead woman. The setting by the sea and the musical repetition give it the feel of a folk ballad, although its structure is more varied than a conventional ballad.

“Annabel Lee” contains six stanzas with changing line lengths and rhyme patterns. Poe’s wife, Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe, is often suggested as a possible inspiration, but no single real-life model has been definitively established. Readers also sometimes confuse the poem with “The Raven,” another famous Poe work about mourning; “Annabel Lee” is the one centered on a lost childhood sweetheart and enduring romantic devotion.