Brain Snacks: Tasty Tidbits of Knowledge
Vladimir Nabokov's most famous novel Lolita was originally named "The Kingdom by the Sea" after the line in "Annabel Lee." The book tells us how the main character was in love with a girl named "Annabel Leigh." Sneaky, huh? (Source)
Poe married his cousin Virginia when she was 13 and he was 27. We hate to pick on this, but it is interesting, and pretty relevant for this poem. Some Poe fans try to explain this away by saying that times were different, but we suspect it always seemed like a pretty weird move. (Source)
The death of Poe's wife in 1847 may have contributed to his notorious heavy drinking. These were rough times for Poe, and we suspect this sad poem was written from the heart. (Source)