An unnamed narrator marries Morella, a woman with great scholarly knowledge who delves into studies of German philosophers, dealing with the question of identity. Morella spends her time in bed reading and teaching her husband. Realizing her physical deterioration, her husband, the narrator, becomes frightened and wishes for his wife's death and eternal peace. Eventually, Morella dies in childbirth proclaiming: "I am dying. But within me is a pledge of that affectionwhich thou didst feel for me, Morella. And when my spirit departs shall the child live."