The pedophile message board GirlChat takes its domain name (annabelleigh.net) from an Edgar Allan Poe poem, Annabel Lee. They believe he was a pedophile and that the contents of that poem is evidence of such. But if we examine Poe's life and that poem, the assertion falls pathetically flat.For instance, they'll say
"Poe married his 13 year old cousin Virginia when he was 27. WA LA, he was a pedo!"
The facts of Poe's life contradict the idea that he was a pedophile.
- When he married Virginia, she was NOT a prepubescent child!
- She suffered from tuberculosis. The evidence suggests that the two did not share a romantic love and never consummated the marriage.
- At that time, it was not unusual for cousins to marry and the life expectancy was lower therefore it was not uncommon for girls to marry younger than they do today.
- There is significant evidence of Poe's attraction to adult women.
- Many scholars conclude that these facts together suggest that Poe suffered from an Oedipus complex (mother fixation) or other condition stemming from childhood which prevented him from having meaningful relationships with women. In this way, it makes perfect sense for Poe to marry someone with whom he could have a platonic relationship.
The reason they chose the poem Annabel Lee is because it contains the line "I was a child and she was a child" and on the surface appears to talk about romantic love. BUT:
- Even if you take this line at its literal meaning, both the people here are children, NOT a child and an adult.
- The identity of "Annabel Lee" is unknown.
- Clearly this would not make sense if he was talking about Virginia. Indeed it doesn't make sense related to anyone in Poe's life except his first love Sarah Elmira Royster; they were teenagers when they fell in love but were separated when Poe went to university.
- Scholars have related this poem to Poe's presumed Oedipus complex and some have suggested he wrote the poem about his mother.
- Whether you take the poem at its literal or subtle complex meaning, there is nothing to suggest that it in anyway relates to pedophilia.
Close examination of Poe's life reveals no evidence of pedophilia. This is merely a pedophile tactic dreamed up to try to convince you they're ok. Even if Poe was a pedophile, they still wouldn't be ok.
Poe never had a relationship as an adult with a prepubescent child and that is a fact. The only evidence of pedophilia in his life is a series of misrepresentations of the truth.
And the antis demand that pedophiles misrepresent Poe NEVERMORE!
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A big thank you to Jacey for the amazing graphic!
