Did Poe see Annabel Lee published?
The publication documented here came after Poe’s death. Poe died on October 7, 1849; Annabel Lee appeared in the New-York Daily Tribune on October 9 alongside the obituary signed Ludwig, the name used by Rufus Griswold. A later newspaper appearance preserved by the Asylum also presents the poem in the immediate aftermath of the author’s death.
This chronology answers the narrow publication question. It does not mean the poem was unknown to everyone before it appeared in print, nor does the newspaper setting establish the identity of the woman imagined in the poem. Composition, private circulation, acceptance, and public printing are different events and require different evidence.
The obituary also needs careful handling. It is a contemporary source for the poem’s appearance, but its judgments about Poe are an interested writer’s account, not neutral proof of his character. Read the poem, the surrounding prose, and the publication date as separate kinds of evidence. When comparing versions, retain each newspaper’s own date and wording instead of merging them into one supposedly original text.
Sources and further reading
Editorial answer from Ask Poe. Interpretive readings are distinguished from documented publication facts. Check the linked texts and editions.