Close Reading Poetry Analysis of "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allan Poe. Analyzing poetry is an art. How do you get better at it? Practice. Here is an easy way to teach close reading with self-guided questions that help the student gain understanding of breaking down lines of poetry.This poem pairs well with a using short stories/excerpts such as "The Highwayman", "Monkey's Paw", "The Landlady", "Orpheus and Eurydice" and the play excerpt of "MacBeth". It is a versatile poem that is great for holid