In his poem Annabel Lee, Edgar Allan Poe depicts the narrator as having deep admiration and love for a woman. The use of metaphor and imagery in the text give the audience a vivid image to apply symbolism and allegories to. In this writing, Poe uses an extended analogy to compare the relationship of Annabel Lee and the narrator to a toxic relationship because comparatively, human beings have relationships with one another that are both the malicious and loving in nature. 

Envy is defined as a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions or qualities. In relationships, envy can stem from insecurities within one’s inner self and cause people to engage in a relationship that is essentially a hoax. Envy, a very human characteristic, is depicted explicitly in the fourth stanza of the writing when Poe uses metaphor to discuss “the angels.” He writes, “The angels, not half so happy in Heaven, went envying her and me” (Edgar Allen Poe) which serves as a comparison to people who are critical about the lives of others solely because they are unhappy within themselves. In contrast, some people who exist in this “Heaven”, mentioned in line 20, are supposedly already at an almighty high, yet they still occupy their energy into the actions, happiness and pleasures of the lives of others, (i.e. Annabel Lee and himself). Poe is eluding that he and Annabel Lee were happier on earth than angles were in Heaven and this humanly trait depicted by the angels in the text is proven to exist as a psychological defense mechanism psychologists call projection. Projection enables a person to not only deny their own issues by attributing those traits to others, but also condemns others for the traits they find distasteful and worthy of punishment. Envy and projection tie closely together when analyzing the components of an unhealthy relationship because when both work together they will inevitably gradually deteriorate the strength and longevity of a relationship. People who are overly critical in the contentment of other people will in the long term face no happiness for themselves, just as the “angels” are “not half so happy in heaven”.

When this unknown aggressor is at an ultimate low is when Poe says that they are capable of “chilling and killing my Annabel Lee” (line25), not only physically but also by attempting to diminish the strength of such a beautiful bond that the two of them share. This is comparable to the human characteristic of spite. When one is spiteful, they have the intent of harming or defeating someone and showing malicious ill will. Spiteful relationships are unhealthy and can become dangerous. The significance of spite in comparison to other malicious tendencies that can come about in a relationship is that they are usually derived from something whether it is an action of another person, a quality a person is envious of or even things beyond the person’s control. Poe directly blames the angels for killing Annabel Lee and in line 23 where he exclaims “Yes!—that was the reason”, speaking on the envious angels who were jealous of the relationship of Annabel Lee and the narrator shared. 

 Wind is defined as natural movement within the air, meaning that this metaphorical wind does not travel alone. “The wind came out of the cloud by night” in line 25 transpires into the idea that the movement of envy and jealousy are can unexpectedly emerge from something meant to cover and protect, such as this mentioned “cloud”. Although people are supposed to be happy in their own space, they still have spiteful tendencies that seek to destruct people who are happier in an area of life that they are lacking joy, implying spite and envy presented in the beginning stanzas of the poem. Hate is a strong and powerful emotion that can drive those with the most innocent of intentions to act maliciously out of sheer jealously. 

In comparison however, the author also presents loving human characteristics throughout his work. Relationships can have destructive sides but they also have characteristics that allow them to flourish. By rewinding to the first stanza of the poem, in line 5-6 where Poe writes “And this maiden she lived with no other thought, Than to love and be loved by me” Annabel Lee is depicted as selfless for putting her love for the narrator above all else. Being selfless in nature is a rather naturally acquired trait that is more often than not, depicted through actions instead of words. The speaker notes a key fact that is noticed throughout the poem which is that the couple are so much in love that it was the only thing that mattered to both the him and Annabel Lee. Selflessness in relationships is appreciated in showing strength and unity within a bond between two people, something we can take away when analyzing human traits in relationships. 

In any human relationship, two individuals must begin somewhere and from this point on, the relationship either grows or regresses. Line 7 says “I was a child and she was a child”, showing that this was the point at which the relationship began and has since had growth. This can also represent how the beginning of relationships begin with a child-like mindset and then grow into something more established progressively overtime. Growth is essential to flourish because without it, a relationship becomes stagnant and cannot sprout into a more improved state than it was at the start. Relationships short in growth are also short in satisfaction.  

Another vital component of any healthy relationship is perseverance. The relationship of Anabel Lee and her lover “was stronger by far than the love Of those who were older…far wiser…and neither the angels in Heaven above nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my(his) soul from the soul of Annabel Lee”(Line 27) showing how determined and passionate the narrator was about the longevity of their relationship. This ties into the positive human characteristic of perseverance. When people interact with couples who have been married for decades and decades, most people share their congratulations and ask what the secret is. It is no secret that relationships like this are not able to thrive, grow or prosper without not only perseverance, but patience and persistence. 

Comparing and contrasting the meaning beyond the simple face value of the text allowed me to appreciate this sample of work more and develop my own personal interpretation of the components of healthy and unhealthy relationships and in comparison to the relationship of Annabel Lee and the narrator. Understanding the underlying messages beyond the line by line reading of the text allowed a deeper appreciation of the relationship to be fostered. 
