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TOHELENEdgarAllanPoeHelen,thybeautyistomeLikethoseNiceanbarksofyore,Thatgently,o'eraperfumedsea,Theweary,waywornwandererboreTohisownnativeshore.Ondesperateseaslongwonttoroam,Thyhyacinthhair,thyclassicface,ThyNaiadairshavebroughtmehomeTotheglorythatwasGreeceAndthegrandeurthatwasRome.Lo!inyonbrilliantwindow-nicheHowstatue-likeIseetheestand,Theagatelampwithinthyhand!Ah,Psyche,fromtheregionswhichAreHolyLand!致海伦海伦，你的美在我的眼里，有如往日尼西亚的三桅船船行在飘香的海上，悠悠地把已倦于漂泊的困乏船员送回他故乡的海岸。早已习惯于在怒海上飘荡，你典雅的脸庞，你的鬈发，你水神般的风姿带我返航，返回那往时的希腊和罗马，返回那往时的壮丽和辉煌。看哪！壁龛似的明亮窗户里，我看见你站着，多像尊雕像，一盏玛瑙的灯你拿在手上！塞姬女神哪，神圣的土地才是你家乡！FirstStanza:Helen:AnallusiontoHelenofTroyinGreekmythology.Helen,thewifeofKingMenelausofGreece,wasthemostbeautifulwomanintheworld.AfteraTrojanprincenamedParisabductedher,theGreeksdeclaredwarontheTrojans,fightinga10-yearbattlethatendedinvictoryandtherestorationofGreekhonor.HelenreturnedtoGreecewithMenelaus.Nicean:OforfromNicea(alsospelledNicaea),acityinancientBithynia(nowpartofpresent-dayTurkey)nearthesiteoftheTrojanWar.barks:smallsailingvessels.Endrhyme:A,B,A,B,B.SecondStanza:wont:accustomedto(usuallyfollowedbyaninfinitive,suchastoroaminthefirstlineofthisstanza).Naiad:NaiadswereminornaturegoddessesinGreekandRomanmythology.Theyinhabitedandpresidedoverrivers,lakes,streams,andfountains.Naiadairs:Peaceful,gentlebreezesorqualitiestheglorythat...Rome:Theselasttwolines,beginningwiththeglorythatwas,areamongthemostfrequentlyquotedlinesinworldliterature.Writersandspeakersquotetheselinestoevokethesplendorofclassicalantiquity.Thealliterationofglory,Greece,andgrandeurhelpstomakethelinesmemorable.Endrhyme:A,B,A,B,A.Halfrhyme:FaceandGreecearesimilaronlyinthattheyhaveonesyllableandthesameending–ce.Thevowelsaandeedonotrhyme.Thus,faceandGreecemakeupwhatiscalledhalfrhyme,alsoknownasnearrhyme,obliquerhyme,andslantrhyme.agate:avarietyofchalcedony(kalSEDuhne),asemiprecioustranslucentstonewithcoloredstripesorbands.Themarblesthatchildrenshootwithaflickofthethumbareusuallymadeofagate(althoughsomeimitationsaremadeofglass).agatelamp:burninglampmadeofagate.Psyche:InGreekandRomanmythology,Psychewasabeautifulprincessdeartothegodoflove,Eros(Cupid),whowouldvisitherinadarkenedroominapalace.Onenightsheusedanagatelamptodiscoverhisidentity.Later,attheurgingofEros,Zeusgaveherthegiftofimmortality.Erosthenmarriedher.Endrhyme:A,B,B,A,B.fromtheregionswhichareHolyLand:fromancientGreeceandRome;fromthememoryPoehadofMrs.StanardEdgarAllanPoe'spoem,ToHelen,wasinspiredbySarahHelenWhitman,thebeautifulyoungmotherofoneofPoe'sboyhoodfriends-thefirstpurelyidealloveofmysoul,accordingtothepoet.OrwashispoeticinspirationJaneStithStanard,asnumerousPoescholarsargue?Itmakeslittledifference.Sincethepoemexistsintwoversionswithminorchanges,itwasapparentlyfirstoccasionedbyhisinfatuationwithMrs.StanardandthenrevisedforMrs.Whitman.ThewomanofthetitleiscomparedtoHelenofTroy,possessorofthefacethatlaunchedathousandships.ThatquotablequoteappearedinChristopherMarlowe'sDr.FaustusandreferstothekidnappingbyParisoftheworld'smostbeautifulwoman,whowasthewifeofKingMenelausofSparta.ThatabductionwasthecauseoftheTrojanwar.NooneissurewhyPoechosetorefertothoseshipsasNiceanbarks.Nicea(orNicaea)isanancientcityofAsiaMinor.Probablythepoetlikedthequalityofremotenessassociatedwiththeplacenameandthevowelmusicitproducesincombinationwithbarks.OthersfeelhemayhavebeenechoingSamuelTaylorColeridge,afavoritepoetoftheyoungPoe,whoinYouthandAgewrotetheline,Likethosetrimskiffs,unknownofyore.Thealliterativeweary,waywornwandererreferstoOdysseus(UlyssesinLatin),whowasdelayedtenyearsonhisreturnvoyagefromtheTrojanWarbytheadventuresandmisadventuresrecordedinHomer'sOdyssey.LikethebarkofOdysseus,Poe'sHelenandherbeautyhavetransportedthepoetontheseaoflife.Everaromantic,Poebelievedthatclassicalimagesandallusionswerethebestwaystocapturethegloryandgrandeurofthepast.Hissubject'shairishyacinth,orthereddish-orangeofzircon.Thetermhasoftenbeenpoeticallydescriptiveofhairsincethemid-17thcentury.Herfaceisclassic,andNaiadairsalludetothegracefulnymphsofmythology,whoinhabitedstreamsandlakes.Intheconcludingstanza,Helenbecomesastatue,andwerecalltheserenefacialexpressionsandflowinggarmentsofancientGreekandRomansculpture.TheagatelampinherhandconnectstohismentionofPsyche,thefemalepersonificationofthehumansoulinGreekmythology.PsychewasforbiddentolookatherbelovedCupid.Onenightshedidsobythelightofthiskindoflampandearnedhisprolongedanger.TheHolyLandofthefinalstanzaistherealmofidealbeautyremovedbothbytimeandspacefromtheworkadayworld.Insum,hispoemofadorationofabeautifulwomanwhomhemetasanearlyteenagerbespeaksaPlatonic,transcendentformofsexuality.ItseemsconsonantwithhismarriagetoVirginiaClemm,athirteen-year-oldfirstcousinwhodiedat25andwhoisimmortalizedinAnnabelLee.TherecomesPoe,withhisraven,likeBarnabyRudge,/ThreefifthsofhimgeniusandtwofifthssheerfudgequippedJamesRussellLowellinthePoeandLongfellowsectionofhissatiricalpoem,AFableforCritics.TSEliotcomparedPoe'smindwiththatofahighlygiftedyoungpersonbeforepuberty.EdgarAllanPoe'spoetry,whateveritslimitations,wasacatalyst.Thecurren