It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of ANNABEL LEE;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.
I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.
And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.
The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.
But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.
For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.
Leave a guest comment (subject to review)
Comments
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I Have A ?
From guest jessica joe smith (contact)
i was told in class today that i have to write a paraghraph on why i think poe wrote this poem (what was his meaning?) can anyone help me??? if you can leave a coment on this web page for me to read. thank you! -
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http://www.eapoe.org/
This link will take you to the 'Poe Society' web page - all the information you need you will find here.
~Von - Oldpoetry
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I
I have always loved this poem. It's a very eerie, creepy love story. Poe is by far my favorite poet. He brings to life in such detail and with such sadness these emotions. -
Beautiful, GOTHIC POETRY
From guest Honey (contact)
I am in love with this poem it is full of melochony and romance, the impression that i get from the poem is that his wife (annabel lee) died and her tomb, as it were, is by the sea, i can feel the sadness as if i had lost someone close to me, how he must feel everytime he hears the sea, sadness. Do you agree??? x x x -
From guest freespirit51 (contact)
This is a beautiful and loving piece of oldpoetry. I have never read any Oldpoetry and never anything from Edgar Allen Poe. Whenever I think of him I think of The Raven and never such beautiful love as this, Annabel Lee. Ahhh...to aspire to this. -
?!!?
From guest Bernard (contact)
I was asked in class to answer this question and I still don't understand it. "Edgar llen Poe often created unreliable narrators or speakors, both in his fiction and poetry. In a paragraph, eplain why you can't entirely trsut the speaker in this poem. Be sure to consider his behavior and his account of what happened to Annabel Lee." I don't understand this at all!? Can anyone explain? PLEASE! I felt like an idiot! lol -
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Guest Bernard.
For me their are so many indications in this poem that allow me to decide on the writers reliability and truthfulness.
Ask yourself questions in your report and then answer them. That way you will be able to make up your mind.
Here are some to consider.
Is the author writing about the mature love of two people? How do you know?
How old are the two people being written about at the time of their meeting? Where does it tell you?
Is the writer using normal or overly exagerated language? Give examples.
What are the respective social classes of the teo people? How can you tell?
What is a sepulchre? What does that imply about the female? Are there any other lines that supports this?
Do the actions described in the final verses sound like those of a reasonable person?
Do you believe in the truth of those 100% -- 50% -- 25% -- not at all?
GG
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Poe
From guest Dan (contact)
The KING of Literature! Poe is THE GREATEST writer that has ever, and will ever, live! He is a GOD through the ages, and has more talent and power in any one word than every writer before and after him. God rest, and God bless you Poe! I am honored to walk the streets you once did. -
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Annabel Lee
From guest Anabel (contact)
I absolutely love this poem and have memorized every word. I was named after it. This poem is so musical and full of passion. I love it. -
guest sunshine's libel against Poe
From guest Amillennialist (contact)
After Poe's wife died, he would sneak out at night to visit her grave, even during winter and sometimes without shoes to avoid waking his mother-in-law who would try to prevent him to protect his health. Annabel Lee was his last poem, written not long after Virginia's death. -
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From guest sunshine (contact)
When poe says that he is laying down by her side, he is performing necrophilia. You have to remember Poe is deep and dark. He could'nt just write a love poem without having something morbid happening. Come on guys 18th century gothic writing here. -
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It brought a tear
A successful poem, and a measure beyond measure..
There is no comment here..
This is a full proof of how tyrantly talented mister Poe were..
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea. -
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just a thought
From guest Brittney Beck (contact)
have you ever really read this poem? after reading this poem it raised questions as a possible suicide note and not just a poem. “ It was many and many a year ago,” (Annabelle Lee) A few years before his death he was married to the love of his life Virginia, they where in love. “ She was a child and I was a child’ she was only 13 when they where married he was 26. Then his love grew ill, feel in to a coma and died, “A wind blew out of a cloud by night, chilling and killing my Annabelle Lee; “(getting sick) “ and bore her away from me to shut her up in a sepulcher” her coma. “ and neither the angels in heaven above” he smoked opium which gave him the feeling of fling and looking into the heavens, “ nor the demons under the sea” he would drink and see his demons, “could ever dissever my soul from the soul of the beautiful Annabelle Lee; --“ nothing he could do could erase her from his love. “ And so all the night tide I lie down by the side, of my darling my darling my life and my bride, in her sepulcher there by the sea—in her tomb by the side of the sea” Poe takes his life drinking himself in to a coma his own sepulcher as to die metaphorically by the side of his bride. -
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Although the details do not match the poem very well, given the date of the poem it is assumed that Annabel Lee is intended to represent his wife (his cousin Virginia Clemm) who died 30 January 1847; she was twenty-five.
http://www.eapoe.org/papers/psbbooks/pb19871c.htm
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Love Surpreme
From guest Lamont (contact)
I must say that this Poem has to be the culmination of what true love is. Edgar understood that love has no age factor. The only question I have is would he had felt the same way for Annabel after 5 years of living together. -
Poe!!
From guest Paige!! (contact)
His loss moves him to state that envious angels caused the girl's death to "dissever" (separate) the young married couple. He tells briefly of her funeral and entombment "in her sepulchre … by the sea." The narrator then reveals that he has been unable to accept their separation. Since her death, he has spent night after night at her tomb, an astonishing and perverse example of the immortality of young love -
Tear
From guest Greg (contact)
So sad, but it shows me how much he cared for her. Its sad yet sweet in a strange way -
From guest Julianna (contact)
I really love this poem and I was hoping I could use it for a project in class, but I'm not sure if it's a sonnet or not. -
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Tear
This one makes me so sad. Poe had such a hard life. -
this poem
just kills me every time i read it. i actively seek this piece out and torture myself with it. the first time i read it, i was very young and it was in my childrens literature book. it feels like a wound that never heals, and has touched me deeply continuously throughout my life. -
From guest Josh Rain (contact)
this i truely simbolic of poetry in all its glorious splender. Edgar Allan Poe is the father of all dark and dull poetry leading us in our modern spell of seperation. -
Annabel Lee
From guest Cjhdksd [chelsea] (contact)
He married his 13 year old cousin
But he did write this.. I love this poem -
From guest chelsea (contact)
Poe was awsome for writing this. But he still married his 13 year old cousin.. EW -
I absolutely love this poem. I have searched for an audio with someone saying it the way it is meant to be read, with certain pauses and such, but have failed to find one. (If anyone knows where I can, please message me...) It is such a sad story, and yet still so beautiful...
~Jasmine~ -
My favorite poem by the genius Mr. Edgar Allan Poe....Losing someone and never forgetting them and missing them... I can relate... Riveting and Brilliant!!!!!
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I first read this poem in the seventh grade and when I did I fell in love with it. It's just the emotion and love put into this poem makes it amazing and totally worth reading. It makes me hope for a love this strong when I get older.
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One of the most beautiful poems ever despite it dark meanings and emotions
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so so beautiful it chills my soul brings tears to my eys my heart pounding so fast and another chill down to my toes!!!
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I have this poem in my book I love this 1 out of all of them!
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One of my favorites, it's so beautifly demented.
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Poe was a simple genius. I have always been in love with them poem. And day by day as I read it I begin to love it more and want it more. I smile just reciting it in my head. That is why Poe was so brilliant, blurring such pieces in your mind.
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This is my all-time favorite poem of Poe. It's so heart-felt. I can see her. Very descriptive.
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one of my favorite poems, Along with "The Raven" also written by Poe. He wrote wonderful poems, I love them.
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This is such a beautiful poem. It has been my favourite since I started writing poetry.
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this is my favorite poe poem.
definately.
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one of the most mellifluous I have EVER read...
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This poem is so deep, I love it xxxxxxxxx
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This has always been one of my favorite poems!!!
Edited on Nov 15, 9:40 because 'because I feel like it, dammit!!!'. -
I love this, and always have. It's a damn good poem!
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so so sad. but beautiful. this is my favorite poem! poe is an excellent poet.
Edited on Nov 14, 8:06 p.m. because 'all the cool kids do it'. -
this is my favorite poe poem of all timw ill always love it and there is always room for it in my heart
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"That the wind came out of the cloud by night, Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee. "
This line sends shivers creeping through my soul. That angels out of spite and jealousy would kill ones true love if you love them too much. It says volumns not only about love but says something deeper about all success in this world. Be too much of anything and enemies will appear to destroy you or your loved ones. -
poe is a great poet and it didnt suprise me at all that he poured so much emotion in this. Next to the raven this is a work of art!
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This is true love and sorrow. Immaculate wording and flow. It almost brings a tear to your eye. I looove this poem, It is my fav Poe poem for many reasons.
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Poe's attempt to immortalise his dear wife Virginia after her death from consumption. How grief-stricken this man was. After looking after her for so long, hopes raised and then dashed as she faded a litle each time must have been pergatory for him.
So much love, grief and pain in one poem.
Incredibly sad.
~Von~ -
hey, try reading this to any relaxation cds with the sea in the background. it makes this poem even better, if that's possible...
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*Tear*
This is so sad, but so beautiful...
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So sad! I wish men did still write like this. Oh... he loved her so much. *cries* Love love love this one.
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Erika ~~~~~
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I loved this poem, I had never read it intill now and I love it.
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Very sad and tragic. He had poured alot of emotions in this poem. I would like to read some more of his works.
--ERIS-- -
I love this one so much. You can feel his pain, it's almost like you were there enduring the pain and tradgedy with him.
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I had never read this one before...
I'm not at all disappointed! It reminds me of my other favorite writer of all time--Shakespeare;
"Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold"
In this case, the thieves are the angels above...
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This just made me cry. lol Seriously. I love this poem so much! *cries some more* =)
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This is my all time favorite poems, it is so sweet and beautifly written. I just adore it.
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this one of my favourite pieces by poe. it is so beautiful
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Sigh If too many men still wrote like this, I think the female population would be in trouble, or perhaps not.
♥ Kimberly -
Simply one of the best poems.. ultimately my favorite.. This holds a lot of meaning in a sense to me.
~Sun -
Such a love is only found once in a lifetime, although Poe did manage to find many, hehehe. This is my very favorite of Poe's love poems. I love the melody of the reading, and the structure of his poetry cannot be surpassed.
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I absoluetly adore this poem, but it makes me sad because it makes me think of my grandma (it was her favoriate)
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I read this poem for a presentation in 8th grade. It is one of my favorites. Took me a little research to figure out what some of the words meant... but hey, all the more better to understand it with.
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This was very beautiful and sad. He was so good at describing everything in this poem, and i loved the fairytail like form of this poem.
DJ -
definatly one of my favorites
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this has to be my favorite poem of all time. everything about it is wonderful.
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This is my all time favorite poem, I learned it when I was quite young. In my opinion this is his best poem. It pushes me every day to be a better writer. Poe is MY inspiration, everything about him from his cool smooth words,the way the role off your tongue, to his dark justifiable mix of words and perfect composition. My heart sinks and sings at the sight of his works. He is truly a master of the words of pain.
Edited on Aug 30, 10:19 p.m. because 'needed it to exspress more of how i felt'. -
I love this poem...it's my second favorite of poe's poems...the flow n rhythm.. the repetitive rhymes...I love the way poe's poems flow the way they do...esp. this one and my all time favorite poem..."The Raven" i read it in school n i was like..*wow* this is awesome...good ol' poe...master of the tradgedy, the first true gothic poet...So much depression and sorrow...the woe and misery..His dark poetry is so artful...he had such talent and had a mastery of words i could never hope to match...I've went on about poe too long...thanks for posting his wonderous works on such a great dite like Oldpoerty....lol
~JacK~ (w/fangs!)
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I love this poem, I do not now why or I am not ablle to exprasse what I feel. I think that I love this poem becouse of mistery, tragedy and hoppe.
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what is meant by "A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee" is that she fell very ill and finally died therein, her kin came and took her away to put her in a sepulchre, which is a tomb-type thing for burying people. Hope that was kinda helpful
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I need to know what Poe means when he says" A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annbel Lee: So that her highborn kinsmen came And bore her away from me, To shut her up in a Seulchre in this kingdom by the sea." i also really need to know the meaning of the word "selpulchre". If anyone knows help me out PLEASE!!!
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He is awsome poet...this is my favorite poem ever, it is so beautiful, best i read... his others are great too, but this one is just special...
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This seems to be a common favorite, and no wonder - it has all the makings of a truly fine, skillfully crafted poem.
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he sucks
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hes was a very good poet
hes a very good poet
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Enshrining Zest
It is likely, in forethought reflections here, that "Anabella Lee" is the muse that drove Nabokov to his "Lolita." Just considering the paragraph that drives its first page through, I think the homage is a lucid thing--through and through:
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, exhibit number one is what the seraphs, the misinformed, simple, noble-winged seraphs, envied. Look at this tangle of thorns."
Respectively,
B.W.Curry -
Its a weird one
Yes...this poem is seen to be very disturbing..just read it in class and discovered weird things. Yes he loved her but did she love him back.. she died but he still slept beside her..what a freak. Like he wouldnt let her go. of course he was kinda crazy this man...not so much of a love story as a stalker keeping the body of a dead girl of whom he loved...:s -
I Love This Poem
I Love This Poem I Would Of Never Thought About Reading it Till I Had To do Reseach On Edgar Allan Poe I Love It So Much I put It In my Poem Book It IS The Best 1 In there So far And i Dout If there Will Ever Be 1 Better Just by Reading The Poem U Can Tell He Really Loved His Wife Virginia. And I AlSo Love The Name Annabelle Lee -
I have met this sensible and great poem just a couple of months ago in the spanish village of Tolosa, where every year one of the best choir competitions is held. A young musician called Eva Ugalde has written a lovely and also tender music for this poem which, I am sure you all Poe lovers would be delighted to hear. If you are interested, just send me an email and I'll try to send it to you. Happy new year to all of you and keep poetry up!!
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well i gave it to my grand mother for a gift
cause her name is Annabelle Lee she loved it she cryed -
Can i get the reason why edgar wrote this poem?
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It\'s a beautiful poem n I like it. It shows a different side of Poe.
Personally I think this poem was beautiful. I think that Poe wrote it based of Virginia and a women named Annabelle Lee Ravenel. It's differen then most of Poe's work, which I'm also a very big fan of. This poem shows a different side to Poe. I've always thought of him as a literary genuis and this is what I mean when I say that. -
I have always loved this poem, its so heartfelt with so much emmotion put into it. You can tell by this poem that he loved this girl so depicted in the story. I wish that when i get older can write half as good as him, though it looks doubtful. Anyway this poem was sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good, i think i'm gonna add it to my poem book, just to acknowledge him as one of the great poem writers for all time. Anyway good poem, hope to read more of his work before todays end.
Tiphanie Cole -
magnificent
Takes no effort whatsoever to read. This is a poem which will never die. -
A great poem and love story. Food for thought.... Do you think that Poe might be saying that this young man was finally giving up is life to be with his beloved Annabel Lee? "I lie down by the side of my darling my life and my bride." He was so heart broken that he could take it no longer. Comments
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I always thought that Poe specialised in dark/morbid writes. This piece was a refreshing revelation.
Krishna -
When i first read this poem i thought wow what a cool poem. I had to read it for homework which i never do but i felt reading something and read the poem. When i read the poem it was blazin. ever 1 should read it.
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TO be honest, and I am rather embarrassed to say this, but this is actually the first poem I have read of his. I have heard one, "quoth the raven." I think it was called. But can't say I have read any up until now.
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One of my fave pieces by EAP
This one always takes me to that place in my mind i am familiar with...yet, i've never known..always found that something to ponder on..lol perhaps i was she in another time? ~gasp~
beautiful write in my opinion -
I've always liked this particular work of Poe's. And it does leave room for a lot of possible interpretati
ons. Being the romantic, I prefer to believe that he was overcome with grief with the loss of his Annabelle Lee and loved her forever, as the poem suggests.
However, with a shift in the imagination,I can easily interpret it in a rather morbid way as well.
The poem itself is beautiful, in spite of the over dramatization.
Dee
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I'm not much of a Poe lover, but this is actually a nice poem. It says so much in it's simplicity, and that is what makes it great. The repetition of Annabel Lee shows that she was always on his mind.
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This is my fav. poem of all times. It has so much meaning to it. I had to inturpret it once, and it surprised me how much it can mean. It showed his love for his wife so truely, and thats why i love it so. He showed so much feeling in this work (of course all of his work is powerfully written.) its very sad and yet you can't feel sad because of the way he wrote it. the way he let it flow made it sound like such a sweet poem.
SPY
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I love this poem..gosh it's so heartfelt. I sang a version of it in my choir a few years ago...I was so excited. Wouldn't it be just grand if everyone could be loved by someone this much? The world would be SUCH a better place.
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Luv It
I agree with all of the commments; this is a truly artistic poem. It shows Poe's pain after his wife died, in 1847, and how two years later he died from the despair that began to rule his life after her death. A beautiful example of what most people will never experience in a lifetime. -
It sounds like he murdered her...jus a thought.
"Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee."
That line right there makes it sound like he's givin himself an excuse so he wont feel guilty bout it.
"And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee."
That makes it sound like he would do ANYTHING to keep her from leaving, you know goin into somone elses arms. There are more hints in there of it. Im not saying im right at all, jus another view on the writing.
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Breath Taking
This piece is so haunting and beautiful at the same time. To have loved so deeply,and have it lurched away so quickly. Love like that is so rare. I don't think I've ever seen anything the likes of it before. I Guess that's what makes it truly romantic...Here is a man I would love to sit and talk with.
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