Final Answer:
The most likely literal cause of Annabel Lee's death in the poem is She drowns in the ocean.Thus the correct option is B. She drowns in the ocean.
Step-by-step explanation:
Annabel Lee's death in Edgar Allan Poe's poem is implied to be due to drowning in the ocean. The lines, "But we loved with a love that was more than love— / I and my Annabel Lee— / With a love that the wingèd seraphs of Heaven / Coveted her and me," suggest an intense, enviable love between the narrator and Annabel Lee.
However, their love is threatened by envy, leading to Annabel's death. The lines, "And this maiden she lived with no other thought / Than to love and be loved by me," indicate that Annabel's existence revolved around their mutual love. The imagery of her being "chilling and killing my Annabel Lee" by "the wingèd seraphs of Heaven" implies a tragic and untimely death—possibly through drowning.
The imagery of the sea, "a kingdom by the sea," and the suggestion of Annabel's burial in a sepulcher by the sea reinforce the idea of her death involving the ocean. The poem's melancholic tone, coupled with the recurring theme of their love transcending mortal boundaries, strongly supports the inference of Annabel Lee's death by drowning, which underpins the tragedy and sense of loss in the narrative. This interpretation aligns with the thematic elements woven throughout Poe's work, emphasizing the power of love and its tragic consequences. Thus the correct option is B. She drowns in the ocean.