Exhibit 7

                                POWER OF ATTORNEY

                                John C. Danforth
                                    Director

     KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that I, a director of Metropolitan Life
Insurance Company, do hereby appoint Gary A. Beller, Gwenn L. Carr, Myra Saul
and Christopher P. Nicholas, and each of them severally, my true and lawful
attorney-in-fact, for me and in my name, place and stead to execute and file any
instrument or document to be filed as part of or in connection with or in any
way related to the Registration Statements and any and all amendments thereto,
filed by said Company under the Securities Act of 1933 and/or the Investment
Company Act of 1940, in connection with Metropolitan Life Separate Account UL,
Metropolitan Life Separate Account E, The New England Variable Account, New
England Variable Annuity Fund I or New England Retirement Investment Account of
said Company, and to have full power and authority to do or cause to be done in
my name, place and stead each and every act and thing necessary or appropriate
in order to effectuate the same, as fully to all intents and purposes as I might
or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said
attorneys-in-fact or any of them, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.
Each said attorney-in-fact shall have power to act hereunder with or without the
others.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 16th day of March,
2001.

                                        /s/ John C. Danforth
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                                        Signature