To Helen by Edgar Allen Poe Analysis

Helen, thy lulu is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore That gently, oer a fresh sea, The play out, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore. On desperate seas farsighted wont to roam, Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs see brought me post To the respl arrestence that was Greece, And the grandeur that was capital of Italy. Lo, in yon shiny window-niche How statue-like I run into thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand, Ah judgment, from the regions which Are devoted Land By Edgar Allan Poe To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe is a song or so a man spe likeg about the apricot of a muliebrity both in body with the potential role to Helen of troy weight and in purpose comparing her to the quintessential sweetheart of Psyche. The elegant woman appears in the poem to be a free spirit that reminds the storyteller of abundant g one and only(a) prison terms. To accentuate this refer to her antediluvian salmon pink To Helen employs a strong use of classic figmentology with references to both the story of Psyche and Cupid, Helen of Troy, and possible Dionysos or Bacchus within the stanzas of the poem.The first stanza of To Helen describes the beauty of Helen akin to that of a boat bringing travellers dwelling from a long time abroad. This scum bag be take onn in the flake literary argument Like those Nicean barks or yore barks world the small sailing boat and Nicean being an ancient metropolis that was near the fifth column War. The Trojan War is one of the Western humankinds nigh mythical battles where the Greek fleet fought against the city of Troy in a state of warf are that lasted for more than nine years. The battle began with genus Paris of Troy seducing Helen from her husband Menelaus the King of Sparta.The Trojan War is one of the most important battles in Greek mythology. As the Helen in the poem is being compared, or whitethorn be, the Helen of Troy comparing her beauty to that of the woman who caused the weary travellers to drive weary and home deprived to begin with due to the war their coming home from is rather ironic. all the same this imagination in the blood of the poem Like those Nicean barks of yore / Gentle, oer a perfumed sea, closely immediately evoke an emotional response in the indorser as it uses two rather strong emotional elements in society war time and the joy of in the end move home.Feature Article bucolic SchoolAllen CurnowThis is most likely the plosive speech sound of the imagery used in the poem and not to point out the irony of Helen of Troys beauty being compared to that of the aftermath of her actions of elopement with Paris of Troy. The poem at that placefore accentuates the linage with a strong use of imagery That gently, oer a perfumed sea, / The weary, way-worn wanderer bore / To his native shore. The use of gently, oer a perfumed sea is a strong use of imagery that leaves a clear stamp in the readers mind allowing them to easily picture the tired, way-worn wanderer returning home.The description of the weary, way-worn wanderer in itself also drives the point home with the authors use of alliteration. This heart warming imagery that fills the stanza is in itself a metaphor for the beauty of Helen whom is introduced in the first ocellus of the poem. This opening stanza gives a very decisive view on the candid of the rest of the poem and leaves the reader with a clear view of the woman in their mind. On desperate seas long wont to roam, This beginning statement sets up the structure of the stanza as the nameless narrator tells the listener how, eve though theyre so accustomed (wont) to roaming the marine the beauty of Helen brings them approve home. The middle of the stanza is dedicated to describing the beauty that brought them home whereas the actual returning to home is explained in the last two lines. alike the continuation of the maritime in the poem, On desperate seas is a continuation of the imagery br ought about in the first stanza by reference to the barks or small boats.This then brings across the imagery of the first stanza into the second stanza as the narrator identifies to the weary, way-worn wanderer. as well as the identification of Helen of Troy in the poem is further enforced in the second stanza with lines such as hyacinth hair, thy classic face which were aspects of beauty that had a heavy weight in the ancient times of Greece and Rome. Also the mention of To the glory that was Greece / And the grandeur that was Rome Is a rather forrard implication that all the possible connotation of Greek and Roman mythology in the poem are correct.The line, Thy hyacinth hair, is not only alliteration in one case again but it may be referring to another Greek myth. The myth is one in which Apollo takes a lover in the form of a stun boy called Hyacinthus who is tragically slain in his youth. This again is a metaphor of Helens exquisiteness as Hyacinthus was known for his beauty i n Greek mythology. However the comparison can yet again be interpreted in two ways as, although Hyacinthus was viewed as beautiful he also died tragically and at a young age.The poem therefore could also be referring to the fact that beauty is a tragedy as well as a gift which can then be further support by the fact that the beautiful woman is/being compared to Helen of Troy who singlehandedly caused the Trojan War because she fell in love. It is more plausible however that the poem is simply comparing the beauty of Helens hair to that of Apollos lover. This can be deduced as most Greek mythology has tragedy weaved throughout it besides so any reference to beauty would result in just about tragedy or another. Thy classic face, / Thy Naiad airs have brought me home This line refers again to the archetypal beauty of woman who lived in these ancient times again provoking imagery about the beauty of the secret Helen the poem is depicting. Thy Naiad airs have brought me home this lin e makes reference to the Naiads who were, in both Greek and Roman mythology, minor nature goddesses ofttimes referred to as nymphs who presided over mountains, rivers or forests. The Naiad airs would therefore be referring to a peaceful snapshot.This symbolism of a Naiad airs provokes the reader to believe that the catch is homebound and is sending the narrator towards their home. The fact that this breeze is from the narrators home is expanded upon in the last two closing lines To the glory that was Greece / And the grandeur that as Rome This ties in with the previous line stating that the breeze is indeed sending the narrator towards their native shore. The descriptions given of both Greece and Rome are reminiscent of the wonders they erstwhile were and is highly symbolic of times long gone by.The imagery of ancient and untouchable beauties is apparent throughout the entirety of the poem. The ending lines wrap up the stanza rather neatly and complete the references to the ocea n that appears in the first line of the stanza. Lo In yon brilliant window-niche / How statue-like I see thee stand This line once again opens up the stanza with a strong sense of imagery. It brings forth to the readers mind the classic silhouette of a woman against a window that is usually seen from a distance.Although possibly this cliched vision may not have been as used back then as it is today it still wouldve provoked an easily come-at-able vision for the reader to hold on to for the rest of the stanza. How statue-like I see thee stand this line may be symbolic of the fact that the Greeks had mastered the study of the human form in sculpture, sculptures that have lasted up till today and are still as stunning as they were when they were first chiselled from rock.This stone representation of Helen is highly symbolic of unceasing beauty which is a theme strongly expanded upon throughout the poem. The line contributes to the imagery of the scene and the untouchable nature of the woman silhouetted in the brilliant window-niche who still appears to be untouchable even though the narrator is finally home. The agate lamp within thy hand, / Ah Psyche, from the regions which / Are Holy Land The first two lines once again have heavy connotations with Greek mythology.The agate lamp and the mention of Psyche refers to one of the few Greek/Roman myths that does not end in tragedy. It is the myth of Cupid/Eros and Psyche in which Cupid is doing a spare for the goddess Aphrodite/Venus, whom is jealous of Psyches beauty. Aphrodite wanted Cupid to make Psyche menstruate in love with the ugliest man he could find however quite Cupid fell in love with Psyche. The two, through meddling parents and an oracle, end up meeting at the top of a mountain in a dark cave full of riches and finery presumably placed there by Cupid in anticipation of Psyches arrival.Psyche and Cupid then become lovers under the condition that Psyche could never see Cupids face. One shadow how ever, due to pressure from her sisters, Psyche lights a lamp this could be the agate lamp the poem mentions and recognizes Cupid immediately, light him up in the process and causing him to flee. The story then goes on to show Psyche performing numerous impossible tasks for Aphrodite in severalize to find her lover Cupid (Aphrodites son) and be with him once again.One of these tasks included retrieving a box from the underworld which could possibly be referenced in the second and last lines of the poem Ah Psyche, from the regions which / Are Holy Land However Holy Land could also be referring to Greece and Rome. The reference to the myth of Psyche and Cupid in the poem is symbolic of the narrators and Helens love and possible its endurance. The connotations are that of a deeper relationship than that of admiring Helens beauty as their love mayve undergone trials like the ones with which Psyche went through in order to be with Cupid.