In a five paragraph, compare and contrast "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe and "Helen" by H.D.
Pay particular attention to each poet's attitude toward feminine beauty and its effects. Be sure to consider how Poe's poem reflects some of the key characteristics of American Romanticism and how H.D.'s poem goes against them.
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Poe's Poem
ReplyDeletehttp://www1.assumption.edu/WHW/Hatch/ToHelen.html
H.D.'s Poem
ReplyDeletehttp://www.poemhunter.com/poem/helen-2/
Famous writers have written poems about how a woman’s beauty can cause a war, but some writers sometimes they remind them of having an image of their own love one with a lot of beauty.
ReplyDeleteDoes a woman’s beauty really cause a war or does it take someone in a journey to see the beauty such as the woman’s image.
Have someone that you know ever fought over a woman for her beauty?
Edgar Allen Poe has written a poem about the beauty of Helen and how her beauty bright as the lamp to light up from the darkness to guide him. Poe was amazed with the beauty of Helen and hoe her beauty was wanted by many men in Greece. Once he stared writing this poem he was imagining him himself in a journey just to find what beauty actually means and how he imagines getting in his own boat to begin his journey to find the beauty. Sadly some writes were jealous at the beauty of Helen.
Hilda Doolittle was one of those writers who she shows how that Helen was the cause of the war of the Trojan and Greeks war. She describes that Helen has pale skin and her hands were white, because when the war ended she felt that it was her fault that the war began because of her. It wasn’t her fault that, she was the daughter of Zeus and she got her beauty from Leda and before the war even started she was abducted by one of the Athenians name Paris. Once that she was abducted the husband was furious and angry that he told the king to avenge him to fight the Greeks in order to get her back. Overall; both of these authors are the same.
Both Poe and Doolittle weren’t in the same page but they both wrote about the beauty of Helen and how they have both differences about Helen but they are focusing on the same Helen that cause the war and the same Helen that her beauty can take you on a journey to find the source of beauty.
Has a man ever had got into a fight with a woman or has he been in a mission to find the right one?
In conclusion, both of these writers had a different point of view of \Helen how she started a war or how she was the light of beauty and yet she stills feels guilty for the actions that she has made.
Have you ever seen something that could be viewed in two completely different ways? Point of views differ from every person. Helen, a Greek goddess from the city of Troy, was viewed in various distinct ways. Helen was married to King Menelaus of Sparta, than ran off with a prince from Troy, which started the Trojan War between the two city-states of ancient Greece. Edgar Allan Poe and H.D., both wrote poems about the majestic Helen, which show the different ways she was viewed. Although both poems are about Helen and acknowledge her beauty, Poe’s poem “To Helen” expresses admiration towards her and has a romantic tone, while H.D.’s poem “Helen” depicts her as an object of hatred with a very bitter tone.
ReplyDelete“To Helen” and “Helen” are both obviously about Helen, but they also acknowledge the fact that she is very beautiful. In Poe’s poem, he recites “Helen, thy beauty is to me, like those nicean barks of yore...”, comparing her to ships from an ancient city which make him feel as if he’s returning home. In H.D.’s poem she says “God’s daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet and slenderest knees...”, describing her delicate features deriving from her father Zeus who was a Greek God. Despite the fact that both poems view Helen in two different ways, they seem to agree on the fact that she was very attractive and divine. However, Helen’s beauty seems to be the only thing these two poets seem to agree upon since Poe’s poem is fond of the Greek Goddess.
Poe’s poem “To Helen” is purely words of admiration and love for this radiant woman, Helen. Poe states “Lo! in yon brilliant window niche, How statuelike I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand!”. The poet is almost obsessed with Helen’s beauty, in this quote he compares her posture to that of a statues meaning that she stands out with elegance and grace. He also says “Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have broght me home”. Here Poe is saying that her stunning beauty, her fine hair, and lovely face makes him feel as if he is arriving home. “To Helen” is a declaration of the authors admiration for the goddess, which the audience can see by his romantic tone. Poe includes elements of American Romanticism because he champions the worth of an individual, Helen, and contemplates nature’s beauty. While Poe’s poem declares Helen as a magnificent person, H.D. thinks otherwise.
H.D.’s poem “Helen” blames the beauty as the cause of the Trojan War and therefore expresses the city's hatred for her. “All Greece hates, the still eyes in the white face, the lustre as of olives...”. H.D. is straightforward about her despise for Helen and seems to try and bring down her beauty with it. “All Greece reviles, the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still, when it grows wan and white, remembering past enchantments and past ills”. The poet here is saying that Greece denounces Helen when she smiles because she has no right to be happy after what she caused. H.D. clearly hates this woman, along with the rest of Greece and the readers can tell by the poets bitter tone. H.D. uses strong hate words and figurative language to depict her as an object of hatred. At the end of the poem, H.D. states that they will only be happy when Helen dies, which is something really terrible to say about anyone.
Poe’s poem “To Helen” admires the beauty, while H.D.’s sees her as the cause of a horrible war, but both seem to agree that Helen truly is a gorgeous goddess. Both poems describe the features that make Helen so beautiful, but it’s the only similarity the two poems share. Poe’s poem describes the authors everlasting love for the goddess, which make him feel as if he’s returning home. H.D’s poem blames Helen for the Trojan War, which explains all the hatred for her. If you live in ancient Greece during this time period, which poem would you have agreed with?
Lindsay Price-Friend
ReplyDeleteHelen of Troy was known by many, she was the wife of King Mehelaus of sparta, and was the said to be the most beautiful women in the world. Helen was well know by many, she inspired people to write poems about her, people such as Edgar Allen Poe and H.D. These two authors are two well known poets who interpreted Helens beauty in two very different ways. Poe and H.D's poems have very differnt tones that describe the beautiful Helen. In two very different poems they see Helen, "The most beautiful girl in the world".
In Edgar Allen Poe's poem, "To Helen" he uses different similies and alliteration to describe her beauty, such as "The weary, way worn wonderer". Poe compares Helen and her beauty to different elements and objects such as a statue. Poe's relationship and feeling to Helens beauty is to feel like as if he was returning home. poe uses American Romatasism comparing Helen to beauty in Nature, "Helen, thy beauty is to me. Like those nicean barks of yore." Poe is more greatly refering to American Romantisim by talking about nature and comparing Helen to the beauty of nature, where as in the poem Helen by H.D she describes her more internal beauty and may even be a little jealous of her extrordinary beauty.
In the poem Helen by H.D, H.D describes Helen as who she was and now who she is. Not everyong liked Helen or though she was the "most beautiful girl in the world". Some thought differently, "All Greece hates, the still eyes in the white face, the lustre of olives, where she stands, and the white hands." H.D talks about Helen and how she was, who she was. She refers to more of who she was and all of her charicteristics of who Helen was. She remembers who Helen was and refers to her in the past tense. "Remembering past enchantments and past ills." H.D may even be a little jealous of Helen being that she was know as the "Most beautiful women in the world." That could be a slight difference in how the poem
was written.
In comparison between Helen by H.D and To helen by Edgar Allen Poe they are very different poems despite that their both on the same person. Edgar Allan Poe compares Helen to many different objects where as H.D more describes helens inner beauty. According to Poe, Helen is more compared to natures beauty and how it is very pure and true, in the poem written by H.D helens internal beauty is greater expressed. H.D describes Helens beauty and everything that makes her up. H.D goes deeper into who Helen actually was using her charicteristics to describe who she was. In the poem Poe wrote, he refers to Helen as being as beautiful to nature. Very beautiful for who she was not anyone else. These poems are very different but have many connections at the same time.
In conclusion, Poe and H.D have different ways of viewing Helen who was the more beautiful women in the world accoring to the Greek. Both of their poems show their description and view of Helen. Overall, Poe compares Helen to the beauty in nature where as H.D talks more about who Helen was talking more about her physical features. Many people have different opinons on Helen and on both of the poems, how would you write a poem about her?
Has there ever been a war started because of how beautiful you are?. In the poem "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe and "Helen" by Hilda Doolittle's shows of how something with nonsence could really happen and hurt others. Wars should occured if it's going to help anyone in the world or future. But it seems for men in Greece the only thing that matters was Helen's beauty.
ReplyDeletePoe's poem tells and describes of how the beauty of Helen was everything a man would of want. For example in the first two stanzas the speaker is saying that Helen's beauty makes him feel as if he is returning home. In the last stanza he describes her classic beauty reminding him of ancient years. And see's her as a statue while holding a lamp. His poem contains American Romanticism since his comparing her as nature beauty.
Hilda Doolittle's poem "Helen" is way the opposite of how the poem "To Helen" views Helen. These poem blames the beauty as the cause of the Trojan War. From that the Greek people don't like her and has hatred towards her. They could only love Helen when she is dead. H.D.'s poem doesn't have much towards American Romanticism it goes against it. She talks about how her beauty can cause lot of damage to people's lives. These shows how much they want her out of their lives.
Both poems have a long way of being the same tone. Poe's tone is romantic, loving, appreciated. While H.D.'s is bitter and has that feeling of wanting to kill her. They might be written about the same person but have different views.
Everyone might say why would someone fight over a stupid thing like beauty of a women. That war could of been for something of importance but wasn't. Poe's poem was for those that didn't have their eyes wide open to see the true meaning of beauty. H.D.'s poem was the right thing to say about Helen. How she should mean nothing. Would you want to be Helen and want a war because of your beauty?
In the year 1831, Edgar Allan Poe wrote “To Helen”, a love poem to Zeus' daughter. 93 years later, the poet H.D. wrote “Helen”, a berating note of hatred on the same subject, Helen. These two poems, however, have nothing in common other than that subject.
ReplyDeletePoe and H.D. never met in their lifetimes, but that's not the only think they didn't meet eye-to-eye about. In the first stanza, the two set tone quickly, and the tones set differ greatly. “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those Nicean banks of yore.” Poe loves Helen's feminine beauty, comparing it to a calm ocean taking a castaway to shore. Poe's affection for Helen is a stark contrast from H.D.'s hatred of Helen. Poe feels comfort (and maybe sympathy) for the beauty Helen has. “All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the luster of olives...” H.D. berates Helen and, unlike Poe, calls her eyes still and as beautiful as an olive (not that much). The differing opinions about ships and olives also occur when talking about Helen's face.
Poe and H.D. use the words “classic” and “wan” to describe their feelings on Helen's face. “Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face...” Poe, once again, complements the beauty of Helen, comparing her hair to petals of a flower, and her face to that of a classic Greek goddess. This is in direct contrast of H.D.'s view of a wan face, which H.D. hates even more when it smiles. “All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles...” H.D. despises Helen with every fiber of her being, and assures the reader that Greece as a whole hates Helen too. These quotes show that these while two poems share subject, they are not alike.
By the time this poem was written, Helen was long dead. This doesn't change Poe's or H.D.'s thoughts about her. “How statuelike I see thee stand, the agate lamp within thy hand!” Poe sees Helen as stiff, but in a different way. For Poe, Helen is stiff like a precious statue, unlike H.D.'s idea of a stiff olive. “Only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses.” H.D. refers to Helen as preferably stiff, but not stiff as Poe would imagine, but stiff as a mortician would imagine. This is a stark difference compared to Poe's view of Helen of a statue made of the gemstone of immortality.
As previously stated, these poems share subject and little else. In the 93 years in between, Helen went from being loved to villanized. Poe stated that Helen was like a ship taking a man home, and a statue made from the gem of immortality. H.D. saw Helen as a olive and wished she was dead. What makes these poems interesting is that they are examples of how point of view can differ. And differ they did.
A beautiful person glows from within; physical beauty is not a perfect look, but a look that draws people in. It could be a well-shaped body, smooth skin, compassionate smile, the way their hair and style suits them, and attractive, wonderful eyes. In Greek Mythology, Helen was the most dazzling women alive; she was so beautiful that she had gotten abducted from her husband, Menelaus, by an abundant prince, Paris, who took her all the way to the city of Troy. Not a soul could touch her splendor, she was so picturesque, that her good looks caused the Trojan War. “To Helen” by Edgar Allen Poe and “Helen” by H.D. shares similar topics, but the sentiment of each poem gives the readers distinct affections and emotions.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem, “To Helen”, Poe sees pure idealized gorgeousness, both physically and spiritually. “Thy beauty is to me / Like those Nicéan barks of yore”, the author compares Helen’s beauty with colony ships that carried home travelers in ancient times. In the second stanza he still uses metaphors to state that Helen brought him home to one the finest shores of Greece and Rome. The descriptive adjectives he employed to characterize her beauty like ‘satuelike’ ‘classic face’ and ‘gently’ simply showed that she was perfect in his eyes. It seems as if Poe’s writing skills favored Romanticism by the idyllic love and pure beauty of his concept. His inspection of appearance was exceedingly descriptive and adoring; he develops the romantic picture on feminine beauty.
In the poem” Helen”, Doolittle gives off an impression of jealousy because she clarifies Helen’s beauty as a disgrace to Greece making the reader feel as if she was the start of the Trojan War. She composes hatred in different ways to get her point across to the reader. Perhaps, she didn’t have the magnificence in her life as much as Helen did. Her envious tradition towards Helen made it appear as if Helen’s beauty was wickedness and immoral. “Could love indeed the maid/ only if she were laid/ white ash amid funereal cypresses”. Doolittle wants Helen dead and it symbolizes the worships of Helen’s beauty and her soul as death of a living woman. She advocates the change of existing women to the life of death by the force of hate. Whereas D.H. explains the dark images that arouses in readers mind.
In both poems, the authors portray a distinction on how they both view this woman. The two poems describe a different side of Helen that is shown through the use of imagery and language. Poe’s being a more positive beauty of Helen, and Doolittle’s being a vile and accusing tone toward Helen. Readers can mentally paint a clear picture of each poem.
American Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement and it characterized interest in nature, emphasized the individual's expression of emotion/imagination, and the attitude of classicism. Poe and Doolittle focus was on lovely Helen, and they individually spoke with different tones making the readers hold discrete feelings. A beautiful person always glows, but sometimes their light can be somber.
JANAE BANNERMAN
ReplyDeleteGreek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, and the nature of the underworld. A story often told from Greek mythology was the infamous story of Odysseys, the story of Odysseus and his long journey home after the fall of Troy. According to Wikipedia source, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. Over time people began to write anecdotes and poetry about this war and the woman Helen of Troy who stimulated it all. Two known poems about the notorious Helen of Troy are "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe written in 1831 and "Helen" by H.D written in 1924. If there ever were to opposite poems, these are definitely it.
The poem "To Helen" is written romantically and it looks at Helen of Troy as a symbol of classic beauty and illicit love. Poe paints his picture of Helen by reciting “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those Nicean barks of yore, that gently, o'er a perfumed sea, the weary, way worn wanderer bore to his own native shore.” He explicitly states that Helen is as beautiful as a pristine Ship from some far away land which makes him internally feel as if he's returning home. HD on the other hand thinks differently.
H.D.’s poem, written 93 years later, doesn't agree with Poe's outlook of Helen. Her poem reminds her readers that Helen of Troy's beauty was the trigger that sparked the conflict between the two nations. She recites "All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the lustre as of olives where she stand, and the white hands" Not only is she portraying her hatred for Helen but she’s also implying that Greece hates Helen as well. In this instance white is used as a negative connotation. H.D could also be insinuating a sexist biased that is found in most competitive women or else she would’ve used more appealing words such as angelic to describe a woman such as Helen. She is frank about her antipathy for Helen and seems to try to dethrone her beauty. "All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still, when it grows wan and white, remembering past enchantments and past ills." This stanza similarly infers a perspective that Helen is feeling troubled by memories of the past.
While H.D’s poem is anti-Romantic, Poe’s poem shows connotation of American Romanticism by including contemplation on nature's beauty and champions the worth of an individual, in this case Helen. “Lo! in yon brilliant window niche How statue like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand! Ah, Psyche, from the regions which Are Holy Land.” He’s initially admiring her elegance and excellence.
In conclusion, both Poe and H.D have significant parallel thoughts displayed in each poem. Overall, Poe compares Helen to the beauty in nature whereas H.D talks more about who Helen was, her dislike for Helen, and the trouble she caused.
Dear Helen, You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen! But I still HATE YOU!! Sincerely, the people of Greece. As we know the woman Helen, who was the reason for the big fight between Troy and Greece. She was said to be the most beautiful woman on earth and she cheated on her husband and left to Troy. There are two poems called To Helen and Helen and they both talk about, yours truly, Helen. But they both do not talk good about Helen and the choice she made. But let’s see what we have to learn about the two poems to know how Helen is.
ReplyDeleteIn the poem To Helen, Poe writes about a man who writes a letter to Helen. He writes to Helen as if he is waiting to travel a long way back home to Helen. He also writes how beautiful Helen is. He compares Helen to a statue like figure. He also says he wishes that Helen was the lamp that he holds within his hand. It’s as if the only thing that keeps him alive is Helen. The man is like madly in love with Helen that she is his everything. He compares to everything that he sees. And he can’t wait to get home to her. Even though Edgar Allen Poe talks about Helen in a way that she is the most beautiful thing in the world, another poet talks another way about Helen. H.D expresses her other feelings about Helen.
In the other poem Helen, H.D writes about how Greece hates Helen. But she also writes how beautiful Helen is. H.D writes as if she is jealous of Helen’s beauty. H.D writes about how Greece hates Helen for what she has done to them. She betrayed them for another town because of her beauty. But they also say that she is still the most beautiful thing in the world but because of that Greece has suffered. The people of Greece also say that the only way they would forgive her is if she is dead. Even though what Helen did to Greece they should at least forgive her even though she ruined the town. She did make a mistake but she did not know that it would go this far. But as all means, the two poems have their similarities but there are no differences that are being compared.
The two poems have their similarities but they also have their differences. In To Helen, the poem mainly talks about the beauty of Helen. It talks about how a man has to travel a long roaming sea just to get to her. In Helen, the poem is written about the same thing, the beauty of Helen. But it also talks about how Greece hates Helen. The only time that the people of Greece would like her was if she was dead. This poem seems as if H.D is jealous about how beautiful Helen is. She wishes as if she was as beautiful as her. But we all know that the two poems are from two different people’s perspectives. One is like a letter from a man to Helen, and the other poem is like a way talking to Helen that she is beautiful but everyone hates her for what she has done to Greece.
Helen may not be the most nicest and compatible person in the world. But everyone agrees that she is very beautiful and they love her features. As for Poe’s poem, he writes as if she is the main of everything. She is the most beautiful thing in the world. But for the poem Helen by H.D, it talks about how the people of Greece hate Helen for what she did. That is the difference between the two poems. One talks about their love for Helen and the other talks about the way they hate her because what she did. Helen should be punished for what she did but let’s all agree she must have been very beautiful for two countries to fight over her.
Gabriela Martinez
ReplyDeleteMost famous two poems that were written in time they both talk about beauty. But the thing is the both have very different views of it. One of the poems was “To Helen” by Edgar Poe; the second one was “Helen” by Hilda Doolittle. Both written in different time eras but then “H.D’s” poem was sort of a back fire on the other entire poet wrote in his poem.
In the first poem “to Helen” by Edgar Poe. Edgar describes beauty being something so beautiful that it’s very captivating. So much that he compares it to nature beauty. In one of the lines he uses,”the weary way wonderer bore”. He uses so much empathy to captivate the person reading his poem. Really putting in that position where you can almost feel his words. Compares beauty to Greek gods and all they accomplished. It all reflexes on the era romanticism it all is being compared to all the things on earth but only the most breath taking things.
On the other hand the poem “Helen “by H.D talks about how beauty is in gorgeous it can take you anywhere but if you fall to hard it can break you. Is it all really worth it r is it just a phase? But how it can be hypnotizing/brain washing. Is how she describes it? It can kill if you handle it the wrong way. He uses words against the other poem. A line she uses is “Gods daughter, born of love the beauty of cold feet.” as well she uses comparisons from Greek gods. But means in that line that born from something good can always result in something bad. To use and take advantage of!
Poems talk about beauty; ones swooped of their feet by beauty. Other one uses realistic words. Too make the reader open there eyes about and make a wise decision. Really a lot of details are used toward both of them I like them both for the use of things they say coming from very different opinions.
Now on my opinion I think that the second poem is more realistic. But in a way I’m not nor on one side or other more in the middle. Because my thoughts extend on both ways. They both make great connections when they talk about the Greek gods and come that beauty to nature. I guess they both went thru very different things in life to make them think of it the way they do.
"To Helen," first published in 1831 by Edgar Allan Poe which he later revised years after. Poe displays an early interest in the theme of female beauty and his love for the character “Helen”. While in 1924, H.D. writes about Helen in a complete opposite view. In To Helen, “Helen” is spoken about with hatred but not about hatred from one person but hate was from an entire nation of people who believed she had started a war. Each poet's attitude toward feminine beauty could be seen as completely different and some would believe that the poems speak about two completely different women since one poem speaks of her beauty and another of the hatred for Helen.
ReplyDeletePoe creates an image so it is unclear who the speaker of this poem is, but he admires Helen for her beauty. This poem does not look into deeply into Helen's thoughts nor does it attempt to tell the story or explain the emotions or actions of Helen. It seems to read as a fan letter of sorts. It is a rather shallow and superficial interpretation of Helen. The speaker praises Helen for her outward beauty and recognizes her attributes. The speaker treats Helen like more of an object than a person and even refers to her as a "statue" in line 12. In the first stanza she is described more like rich good rather than a living, breathing person. Perhaps Helen is referred to as Psyche in line 14 because Psyche was also spurned for her superior beauty according to Roman myth.
In a poem called "Helen," the speaker conveys absolutely no sympathy for Helen. The speaker says that they will not be content until Helen is dead and buried. I assume that the speaker is a Greek, because speaks of Greece hating even her smile. According to this poem, Greece hates Helen for possessing such beauty that would cause Paris to enter her life and take her to Troy hence starting a bloody war that would eventually cost lives of countless Greek men.
In both poems, Helen’s beauty is seen as limitless but yet each poem speaks differently about Helen in different ways. One poem speaks in pure hatred while another speaks as if the speaker is in love with Helen. Poe and H.D. commonly use the words “classic” and “wan” to illustrate their feelings about Helen's face. Poe as always tells about the beauty of Helen, comparing her to the prettiest of things, even her face is compared to that of a Greek goddess whose beauty is said to be unmatchable. H.D.'s view of a wan face can be seen as a complete opposite view, which H.D. hates even more when it smiles. H.D. detests everything that has to with Helen and guarantees the readers that the complete nation of Greece.
Helen may be seen as a monster for actions yet in both poems the narrators agree that her beauty is infinite. As for Poe, he writes as if he is in love with her and sees nothing but her outer beauty. To the narrator in Poe’s poem Helen is gorgeous and nothing can surpass her beauty. On the other hand the poem written by H.D, speaks of how the people of Greece hate Helen for what she has done to their country. That is the difference between the two poems is that one articulates the love they have for Helen while the other verbalizes the way she is hated for her actions. Her beauty was given to her without her consent so should Helen be hated by entire nation or admired by all in the same way Poe shows his admiration.
Helen of Sparta was perhaps the most inspired character in all literature, ancient or modern. A whole war, one which lasted for ten years, was fought over her they called it the Trojan War. The Spartan and divine family of origin of Helen of Troy, her abductors, and the pledge that led the Greek leaders to fight to bring Helen back from Troy.
ReplyDeleteBeauty so many ways you can use it. When we hear the word beauty the first thing that comes to our mind is a woman which is true pretty much all the time. Now beauty can bring an image of these women you love so much just like Edgar Allen Poe in his poem “To Helen”. Or beauty can cause destruction just like in the poem “Helen” by H.D. These two poems are talking about the same person, but only from two different points of views.
In Edgar Allen Poe poem “Helen” he talks about how this women Helen he is so deep in love with her. The way he shows it in this poem he compares here to an object like when he says “The agate lamp within thy hand” he is saying that she is like a lamp because she helps him see in the dark and is his guidance. Also as well in this poem Edgar Allen Poe is really showing and explaining the power of a women and what she can do with her beauty, and that is to have men want her and dream that they can be with her.
Now in H.D. poem, “Helen” talks about how Greece hates Helen doesn’t want to know anything about that person, because of the war she caused. Like Edgar Allan Poe’s poem about Helen, this poem draws a portrait with careful references to Helen’s eyes, face, hands, feet, and knees. But in contrast to Poe’s poem, H.D. Helen does not stand alone, unveiled before the adoring eyes of the male poet. Instead, she is accompanied by a hate-filled gaze that never leaves the beauty of her body. H.D. poem operates on an opposition established between Helen and all of Greece. So in this poem that H.D describes Helen only as a women for sexual needs by her saying “could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid” and the only way of been loved why you are laid down is sexual.
At the end of summarizing these two poems you have two different points of views you haves Edgar Allen Poe’s view which is her beauty is a good thing and its what keeps him going. But then you have H.D. view which is she was just a women who caused a war that didn’t need to happen.
We compared and contrasted two poems “to Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Helen by H.D.. The poems were about a woman from greek mythology named Helen who was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Its unclear to me if Helen had ran off to Rome or if she was captured by the romans, but both poems show her from two different peoples perspectives. One perspective is showing Helen in all her beauty finaly returning home, and the other perspective is from the people of Greece who hate her with valiant anger.
ReplyDeleteThe poem “Helen” by H.D. show how the people of Greece want Helen out of their lives & countries even if it means her ultimate demise. In the poem the first line tells you what you can expect to hear from the rest of the poem. “ All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face”. The people of Greece’s hate probably is formed because Helen is the reason the war had started. On the other hand Edgar Allan Poe’s version of Helen is a much lighter happier perspective of Helen.
Edgar Allan Poe’s “to Helen” I think is describing someone, a man returning back to his homeland excited to see Helen. In the poem he describes Helen’s beauty; “Helen thy beauty is to me like those Nicean barks of yore.” Nicean must have been a beautiful city because that how Edgar Allan Poe or the character in the poem views Helens beauty. The two poem describe the feminie beauty of Helen both from an adoring view and a jealous or view of hatred.
To have started the Trojan War Helen must have really been a prize to fight over, I can see why the two authors choose this subject to do these poems on. The two poems give both sides of the story letting the reader choose if they beilive If Helen is a beautiful woman or a horriable person that the world would be better of dead with.
hamsa elmi
ReplyDeleteHelen of troy is the daughter of Zeus in Greek mythology. She is one of the main reasons for the trogon war which lasted for over ten years. She is also one of the most beautiful women in the world at this time. Her mother Leda is the queen of Sparta and she meat Zeus in the form of a swan and she fell in love with the swan. There are two poems about her that talk about her role in Greek society. Edgar Allan Poe “to Helen” and H.D ‘Helen” both have the same subject about Helen, but their views of her are completely different. H.D character thinks of Helen as nothing more than a burden that the solders have to go through and risk their lives for. Edger Allen Poe character is admiring her beauty.
Edgar Allen Poe poem was written in 1831, and he has another poem also called “to Helen” which he wrote in 1848 a year before he died. The poem “to Helen” is about an unknown character admiring Helen of troy. It doesn’t take any perspective of Helen’s thoughts. The character seems to be admiring her from a far and writing what he thinks of her in a journal. The comment he makes of her are superficial and only talks about her appearance. In line twelve and thirteen it said “How statuelike I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand!” he compares her beauty to a statue and a priceless lamp. He praises Helen for her beauty and elegance.
H.D poem “Helen” which was written in 1924 talks about how Helen caused the war that lasted for ten years. The character has no sympathy for her, and the character would not be happy until Helen is dead and buried. The character is assumed to be a Greek citizen because they do not mention the lives lost in the trogon side in the war. The character also hates Helen for such beauty that would make Paris fall in love and take her to troy to start the war. In most account she is seen as a victim, a product of rape of Leda by Zeus. She not a victim in the eyes of the character H.D made but as “god’s daughter, born of love.” The rape is considered love to H.D character.
Both poems think of Helen strongly. Eder Allen Poe character admires Helen beauty and does not see what Helen beauty has done so far. H.D character disdains Helen because of the trouble her beauty has caused. Their views are completely opposite of each other even though they are about the same person, Helen. They both acknowledge that Helen is beautiful but they both have different opinions about how the beauty affects them and their environment. In Edger Allen Poe poem her beauty is admired through the whole poem. But H.D poem disdains her beauty because it caused the war.
Both poems have strong feeling about Helen; H.D character hates Helen, while Edger Allen Poe character loves Helen. The poems have the same subject but opposite feeling about the subject.
Super Journal: Poe vs. H.D.
ReplyDeleteLove and Hate are two of the most over-exaggerated and mistreated emotions in this universe. In the poems “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Helen” by H.D., these two strong emotions help differentiate the written pieces and the poets’ perspectives of the infamous woman named “Helen”. Helen was mainly known for initiating the famous Trojan War; she was abducted by Paris of Troy which caused Sparta and the city of Troy to clash. To many, she continued to be seen as the most beautiful woman while others viewed her as a disgrace. The poems “To Helen” and “Helen” share similarities with the immense amount of imagery used but differ in their tone and whether they included characteristics of romanticism.
The two poems are similar in a sense that they both use forms of imagery to help draw their readers in and emphasize how they viewed Helen. For example, both poems used figurative language to help describe her; in this case, imagery and similes. In Poe’s poem, he says, “Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.” He is saying that her beauty brings him back home to Rome, Greece through a simile. In “Helen”, “Greece sees unmoved, God's daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet and slenderest knees, could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses.” H.D. uses imagery to help show her perspective of Helen. In her case, she shows her hatred for her by saying that all of Greece would love her only if she were dead. From these examples, we can clearly see that both poets used similar methods of writing to help depict Helen, although their views of her differed, the way they were expressed were similar. Although they both shared similarities with the use of imagery in their pieces, these two poems differed in their tone.
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ReplyDeletePoe and H.D.’s poems also differed in tone. While Poe’s poem had a loving and admiring tone, H.D.’s poem was filled with and disgust and was harsh. For example, “On desperate seas long wont to roam,Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece, And the grandeur that was Rome.” From this quote taken from “To Helen”, we can see that Poe’s tone was very loving because of the way he exaggerates her beauty. He says that her beauty was so captivating that she was capable of bringing him home. How is this possible; for someone’s femininity to remind a person of a certain place? In H.D.’s poem, she says, “All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still when it grows wan and white, remembering past enchantments and past ills.” From this, we see the difference in the way the depict Helen. H.D. says that all of Greece hates Helen’s face and even her simple, beautiful smile reminds them of the disaster she caused in the past. Here, it is evident that the poet believes that her beauty doesn’t fit well with her reputation and just brings her disgrace. Not only do the poems differ in tone and their views of Helen, but they also do not share the same characteristics of Romanticism.
These two poems also do not share the same characteristics of Romanticism. For one thing, Poe includes the characteristic of finding beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of imagination. For example, “Lo, in yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand, Ah! Psyche, from the regions which Are Holy Land!” In this quote, Poe makes it seem as if she’s the only woman in the world; that only she can have visible beauty. Considering Helen was the daughter of Zeus, the king of the gods, this proves that he found beauty in the supernatural world. H.D.’s poem contradicts “To Helen” and the way Poe finds Helen beautiful. For example, “Greece sees unmoved, God's daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet and slenderest knees, could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses.” From this quote, it is evident that H.D. did not find the fact that Helen was the daughter of the Great Zeus, enough to hide the hideous truth that she caused a clash between two great cities. This may also be because of the fact that the poet was a woman and possibly envied Helen’s beauty; she may have used that incident of the war as a way to denounce Helen.
The two poems, “To Helen” and “Helen” shared similarities in the way they were written with imagery, but also had differences in their tone and the characteristics of Romanticism. Both poems were similar because of the way they both included forms of imagery to help show the way they viewed Helen. Poe’s poem had a loving tone and also portrayed Helen as beautiful while H.D.’s poem was filled with hatred and portrayed Helen as a disgrace despite her beauty. Lastly, while Poe finds beauty in the supernatural world, H.D. argues that although she is beautiful and was the daughter of Zeus, it could not hide the fact that she caused the Trojan War. Is it possible for outer beauty to mislead and blind the average man or woman today?
These poems ”To Helen” by Edgar Alan Poe and “Helen” by Hilda Doolittle, both of these poems contain such strong meaning containing different things but about the same concept beauty and romanticism even though it’s portrayed in two completely different ways through out two different poems by different authors. Comparing and contrasting these poems can be difficult in a sense but since these are such great poems it shouldn’t be that difficult.
ReplyDeleteContrasting “To Helen” by Edgar Alan Poe first when you first engage in this stunning poem you instantly see this poem has something to do with beauty and in the first few stanzas he is able to perfectly describe something so meaningful that you can really see the way he did it basically is written so well while I was reading I could perfectly imagine what he was describing right there in front of me and I think that takes a lot to be able to develop and publish a poem with such imagery and thought put into the poem. Now the poem continues to be just this refreshing story almost with a great ending in this poem it takes about Greece and the glory of Greece and how great it is. I truly think this authors view on beauty for this time era was stunning and the way it was constructed it made it that much better of a poem.
Contrasting “Helen” by Hilda Doolittle her poem is basically the opposite in a sense then Edgar Poe’s poem still with the subject Greece and even some beauty but this time in a completely different way. The way she starts off her poem you can tell it isn’t going to be the happiest poem especially after just reading the opposite poem with such beauty and detail. Now this poem starts off with “All Greece hates” that right there is telling you that this person is against Greece puts it down in numerous ways saying it’s cursed and other bad things about Greece and not showing the true potential of beauty and Greece.
Edgar Alan Poe’s poem really fits right into the romanticism era and really helps to envision something bright for what was going on at this period in time. He almost goes above and beyond with the key terms and points he is sure to include inside of his poem to make sure you understand this is about the American Romanticism and what was going on at this time for him and his readers that he created the poem for.
Hilda Doolittle’s poem now really goes against not only beauty and Greece but American Romanticism which was a terrible thing at this time considering everything I felt her poem was a downer and sad to even read how she put down such a magnificent place and the trust meaning of the American Romaticism.
Is the worth of one woman really worth ten years of fighting and innumerable amounts of death tolls? Well in Greek mythology, the Trojan War that lasted for ten years disputed over a woman that caused fighting between two great empires. Sparta with king Menelaus from the great city states of ancient Greece married Helen. Helen without king Menelaus’ approval runs away to Paris the prince from Troy in Asia Minor. Menelaus with his Greek army attacked Troy to get back Helen. Within the first two lines of Helen by Poe, Helen of Troy is described as a symbol of desire for desperate and weary men, while the first stanzas of HD’s poem describes Helen of Troy as a person to hate. The author’s attitudes toward feminine beauty, Poe and HD, are entirely against each other. Poe’s poem clearly shows that Helen is a symbol of love, while HD’s poem stresses the hate of one’s actions.
ReplyDeleteTo Helen by Poe is an example of love in a form of a woman. The tone of Poe’s poem is romantic as he describes Helen forgivingly and lovingly. Helen is described as a beautiful gentlemen magnet so much that Poe feels weary and desperate. Poe describes Helen beautifully as he uses a simile within the first two lines of the poem, “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those of Nicean barks of yore.” Poe compares Helen as Nicean barks of yore to convey that there is a way to come home and that they come in open arms. Poe also describes Helen as a statue that makes her qualities stand out even more making her qualities comparable to a god. Helen’s loving qualities are clearly shown in Poe’s poem but to other authors Helen is described in an opposite manner.
In the poem Helen by HD, Helen of Troy is described as a villain. People loved to hate Helen. The tone is bitter when Helen is described as an object of societal hatred. It is evident when Helen’s eyes are compared to ash. In the poem, HD says “hating it deeper still when it grows worn and white, remembering past enchantment and past ills.” People dislike Helen to the extent that they remember what she has done even when they are old. Helen is also described haunted by what she had done making her pale and dislikable. Helen can only be loved after she has died when Greece sees that she is not the worth of war and the poverty she had brought.
In conclusion, the poems To Helen and Helen have completely different tones. Poe’s poem describes Helen as a woman to love and to forgive by describing her feminine qualities as a god and when she returns Helen is welcomed with all the support from Greece. Helen on the other hand by HD sees Helen as a symbol of hate enough that people of Greece can only forgive Helen after she has died she has to show she is not the true beauty and god worth fighting a war over. If these poems were the thoughts of the people of Greece during that time then how many people would have rebelled?
Ralph Cola
ReplyDeleteThe daughter of the most powerful Greek God Zeus, Helen. Helen was the most beautiful woman in Europe, and her faith was sealed ever since she was born. Other women envied her, while men fell head over hills for her. People blame her for the cause of the Trojan War when her husband Menelaus found she was abducted by Paris of Troy. Two American poet, Edgar Allan Poe, and H.D. (Hilda Doolittle)wrote about Helen. Edgar Allen Poe wrote about how beautiful and amazing Helen was, while Hilda Doolittle wrote about how much the people of Greece hated her guts. Edgar Allan Poe’s poem reflects Romanticism idea, while Hilda Doolittle’s poem does not.
In the poem “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe, he talks about the beauty of Helen. In the first few stanzas Poe is already using simile to compare Helens beauty to a lot of things. Poe states that nature brought him to Greece to see the beauty of Helen, “Thy Naiad airs have brought me home
To glory that was Greece, and the grandeur that was Rome(Middle Stanza of “To Helen.”)”This poem is completely different from the poem of Hilda Doolittle since her poem talks about the hatred of the Greece people against Helen.
In Hilda Doolittle’s poem the people from Greece hates hear, instead of admiring her beauty, like in the Poe’s poem. In the first stanza of Hilda Doolittle’s poem it already states the hate of the Greeks against Helen, so we could already tell this poem is not a poem praising her, “All Greece hates
the still eyes in the white face, the luster as of olives, where she stands, and the white hands.” Greece is not in awe of Helens beauty, they still blame Helen for the Trojan War. In stanza two Hilda Doolittle will only be forgiven by the Greeks once she is dead, “God's daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet, and the slenderest knees, could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses(Final Stanza.)”
Edgar Allen Poe’s poem reflects on the idea of Romanticism, because he expresses true beauty of Helen, and in his poem talks about nature, how it guided him to Greece to see the beauty of what is Helen. Hilda Doolittle’s poem it does not reflect on the idea of Romanticism because she talks about the sin, hate and death of Helen, it only talks about the bad stuff, not anything good about her. In Hilda’s poem the Greeks never forgives Helen for starting the Trojan War, until her death. First stanza of Hilda’s poem talk about their hate for her, second talks about her sins, and the final stanza talks about only if she dies she is forgiven. This goes to show how much of a difference these two poem had.
In conclusion Helen, was innocent, but her faith was already sealed when she was born. Others view her in many ways a beauty beyond compare to other people in the land, or a women that caused one on the greatest war. Both Poe and Doolittle wrote every interesting poems about what Helen went through, with great detail. Do you think she was innocent or guilty?
The wife of King Menelaus of Sparta was named Helen and was said to be the most beautiful women in the world. Helen ran off with Paris a handsome prince from the city Troy in Asia Minor. In results 10 years of war breaks out called the Trojan War. The two poems To Helen and Helen are very similar and different at the same time it is comparing the good the bad and different views people she Helen as.
ReplyDeleteIn To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe he talks about how beautiful and elegant she is he says “Helen, thy beauty is to me like those Nicean barks of yore, that gently, o’er a perfumed sea” The sentence means her beauty to me is like the colony ship that move gently on the sea as if she is a graceful ship that he sees is so precious and dear to him. He also says “Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad airs have brought me home to the glory that Greece, and the grandeur that was Rome.” He means that her hair is like petals and her face that the water nymphs has bought him home to see Greece’s glory which is her. Edgar Allen Poe talks about the good Helen is to him and Greece.
In Helen by Hilda Doolittle talks more about the bad things that Helen is bringing to Greece and how she’s hated. “All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the luster as of olives where she stands, and the white hands” Helen poem talks as if she dull white and is dead to them and the only thing you can see is her eyes shining kind of as if she was a huge monster to them for starting 10 years of fighting. Hilda Doolittle also says, “All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still when it grows wan and white, remembering past enchantments and past ills.” All Greece scorns the white face when she smiles disliking it even more when her white bringing back memories and attractions of old sickness.
The two poems contrast themselves because you’re getting a man’s point of view and a women which some jealousy could have come up for Hilda because she’s a women and can’t figure out why guys would start a war over just some ordinary girl. Hilda is saying that Greece hates her when Edgar is saying the glory that was Greece. Then Edgar is talking about how pretty Helens face and hair is and Hilda is saying how pale her face is and how it makes people hate her even more.
The poems are talking about the good vs. bad effects that Helen has on them. You’re getting both sexes opinion of women it could be viewed as jealousy or as just venting the pain and suffering that one woman caused for years. Which do you believe had more valid points on if Helen was good or a bad thing for Greece?
In the poems “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Helen” by Hilda Doolittle they both are comparing things.The poems are very similar and also very different because they have some good things about the point of views and then they have some bad points of veiews
ReplyDeleteIn the poem "to Helen" This poem is more of good things he is feeling for helen.Edgar Allan Poe was comparing her to the most beautiful women in the world.In a quote he has said to her was "Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea" witch ithink means that her beauty is like a ship and that she goes gently and that she is the derest to him.
In the poem "Helen" she is saying that helen is hated in greece and talks more about the bad things rather than the good things.A quote she wrote of how it was in greece."All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face,
the lustre as of olives where she stands,and the white hands" this poem is talking about how everyone hated her and that she was basicly comparing how she would look if she was dead with a white face and wite hands.
These two poem are two really great poems because they kind of give a feeling for two different girls and how they can be the same but different.The poems can show you how one can be so wonderful and can make you happy and call it love but then they show another poem that a girl is hated and is compared to death and that everyone hates her and then you feel the pain of sadness that she is going through.
I think tht the two people who wrote each people was trying to show the positive on one side and then the other was showing the negative and the other side of things.Each trying to make a point on something that is real to some people.Some people may feel this way one person could be loved and ompared as beautiful and loved by someone and then someone else could be hated and well all the opposite of enjoying life and being happy with it.Being depressed and not having friends i bet doesnt fell the best because then they dont feel loved by anyone or who gets compared as if they were dead.
Who would want to feel hated and not loved by anyone? Wouldnt you want to feel that you are wanted and is happy with your life? Some people may not feel like this but if you at least try to believe it dont listen or think that you are not as important then everyone else cause that is so not true.
The story of the Trojan War was about a goddess named Helen who basically cheated on her husband, Menelaus, to run off with Prince Paris. When Menelaus found out about Helen and Paris running away, all he wanted was revenge and to get Helen back. According to Greek mythology, Greek attacked the city of Troy as retaliation for Paris of Troy because Paris stole Menelaus’s wife.
ReplyDeleteIn Poe’s poem, To Helen, he describes the beauty of this goddess Helen. How her perfume smells, how her hair looks, and also how her face is. Poe just talks about her beauty as if everyone should be blessed because they walk on the same grounds as Helen. The tone of this poem is in the Romanticism Era. It seemed as if Poe was in love with her himself.
In the poem, Helen, by H.D., there’s pure hatred in the tone. The author was upset that Helen has caused such damage within cities. The beauty of Helen is still described in the poem but yet, it’s turned into negativity. Her beauty is described with every aspect of her body. Her eyes, smile, the color of her skin, but all this beauty is twisted into what appears to be bad to the author because of her beauty she has caused so much drama.
There’s a thin line between love and hate. In Poe’s poem, he describes everything about Helen that is perfect, yet in H.D.’s poem, she describes her beauty but turns it into a bad image. From a male’s perspective, Poe doesn’t focus on the war that Helen has caused. Like he doesn’t care about her flaws, but yet, that’s all H.D. focuses on in her poem. Maybe she was jealous of Helen’s beauty so her main focus was to blame everything on Helen. Yes, Helen shouldn’t have run away with someone else, yet her husband didn’t have to tussle up a war.
In conclusion, Helen and To Helen have two totally different tones and perspectives. Each author put a different tone and different views of Helen comparing and contrasting, yet they both described her beauty in different ways.
Helen of Troy, how is she so well known? Helen of Troy was married to King Mehlaus of Sparta. Everyone was believed that she was one of the most beautiful women in the world. She caught many people’s attention, she stood out so much that two well-known poets wrote poems about her ;Edgar Allen Poe and H.D.. In their poem they elucidated Helen’s beauty in two extremely different ways.
ReplyDeleteReading “ To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe he seems to admire Helen for her beauty. He seems familiar with the Greek and Romans but “Nicean barks of yore” tells me that he isn’t aware of Helen and what she caused. His poem doesn’t go deep into Helen’s thoughts neither does it try to narrate the story, explain the emotions, or actions of those that are involved. In a way it seems like a fan letter. The speaker seems to praise Helen for her external beauty and locates feature that are well known. The speaker also treats her more like an object than a person. He even refers her to as “ Statue-like” in line 12. In his first stanza she is describes more like rich, imported goods than a living, breathing person. In line 14 she is referred to as Psyche because Psyche was also turned down for her superior beauty according to the Roman myth.
Hilda Doolittle’s poem is called “Helen” written in 1924, the speaker expresses absolutely no sympathy for Helen. She is most definitely from her time. She says that she will not be happy until Helen is dead and buried. The speaker talks about how Helen's beautiful white skin is contrasted with the "lustre as of olives where she stands." I assume that it refers to her beauty contrasted with the fabricated less elegant things around her. The second stanza reveals Greece's absolute lack of concern for Helen's prosperity. It shows that Greece to be rather hypocritical, abominating Helen for her beauty, and increasing this hatred only when she loses it. They hate her "wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still, when it grows wan and white." The only way for the city to stop hating her is if she died. Helen is given no compassion in this poem by H.D, but this only encourages us to pity and sympathize with her.
It is clear that both of the poems has its differences and similarities. While the speaker in Poe’s poem admires Helen for her beauty, as for H.D’s poem the speaker seems rather jealous of Helen. Although their views are utterly opposite they both recognize her beauty. However they disagree on how beauty affected them and their environments. While Poe’s poem talks about how her beauty helped him find his way back home after being lost at sea. But H.D’s poem she despises her beauty and says that it caused the Trojan war.
Edgar Allan Poe and H.D. had to different perceptions of Helen. Helen was the woman who was responsible for the Trojan War. As seen in both of these poems people had different views and perspectives on Helen.
ReplyDeleteEdgar Allan Poe felt as if Helen was the most beautiful girl in the world and she is the greatest. He compares her beauty to lots of things that look nice. H.D didn’t give Helen so much praise. He blames her for the Trojan War and says thigns won’t be ok until she dies. He doesn’t think she is beautiful and compares her to olives.
Characteristics of romanticisim are showing feelings and involving nature. Poe’s poem has deep feeling about Helen. He talks about how much he’s in love with her and how beautiful she is. H.D. shows his hatred toward Helen and how the bad things that happened are her fault.
These are two different poems with the opposite feelings about Helen. Poe is in love while H.D. hates Helen.
Gianna Canamar
ReplyDeleteThe Trojan War, a war that lasted 10 years was the resulted of the kidnapping of Helen of troy. She was married to the king Menelaus of Sparta. She was said to be the most beautiful woman in the world. Her stories in spire two poets, Edgar Allan poet and H.D, to write about her. The poem however differ in the way they perceive her beauty.
In Edgar Allan Poe’s poem “To Helen” her beauty impacts him. He writes about how her beauty makes him feel as if he were returning home. Poe writes, “How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand! He compares her to statue on a lamp made of precious stone, he sees as perfect and beautiful he would compare her to the lamp. Her beauty captivates him.
H.D poem “Helen” has a bitter tone than that of Poe’s romantic poem. H.D blaims Helen for what she has caused with her beauty. "All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the luster as of olives.” Here H.D states that Greece condemns here for causing the Trojan War. H.D does not write about who Helen is but of what she has caused. H.D views Helen as an object of societal hatred.
Both poets however agree on her beauty and the effect it has. Poe describes and compares her beauty to nature and admires her beauty. H.D comments her beauty as the cause of the war and how everyone in Greece would rejoice if she were to die. Both poets do describe her as beautiful Poe’s poem is somewhat of a love poem to her beauty while H.D acknowledges that she was beautiful.
The two poems clearly are about the same person, however they have some differences. “To Helen” shows much admiration while the poem “Helen” deals with hatred and guilt. Poe feels her beauty makes him feel as if he is returning home. H.D condemns here for what she has done.
The poems, “To Helen” by Edgar Allan Poe, and “Helen” by H.D., both share a great amount similarities and differences. The different attitudes shown in the two poems give us the biggest differences. But the tones are fairly similar. The authors show the different opinions they have towards a woman named Helen. By reading these poems, you notice one has more of a positive tone than the other. Even though, the style of describing the characters is very similar in the detailed descriptions.
ReplyDeleteIn "To Helen", Poe describes a tired traveler called home by the grand image of the beautiful Helen. Through romantic imagery and eloquence, he develops the dreamy image of feminine beauty. The rhyme pattern throughout the poem enhances the speaker's admiration of Helen. The speaker of "To Helen" feels weary from the hardships he faces at sea. While he travels, however, the image of Helen motivates him until he may return back home. In relating his appearance of her, the speaker describes a stunning, admirable woman. The imagery Poe uses, helps show his romanticized perception of beauty. "How statue-like I see thee stand." This image stimulates thoughts of a woman being placed high on a platform, showing the many concerns the speaker has towards Helen. Also, the "agate lamp within thy hand," presents an image of light and empowerment.
The second poem, “Helen” by H.D. takes a different turn from the tone of the first poem. For, its tone is one of hatred towards Helen. The speaker is most likely a spokesperson for the people of Greece. The author’s style of speech is extremely effective. With words such as “hate” and “reviles” the speaker shows her hate. The first and last lines show the dislike the speaker has for Helen. The first line, “All Greece hates”, sets the tone of the poem. The last two lines, “only if she were laid, white ash amid funeral cypresses”, also show the hate towards Helen. The visual imagery used throughout the poem is strong as well. The speaker mentions Helen’s face as “wan” about three times throughout the poem. This is not a very nice description for someone who was known as the most beautiful woman in the world.
In response to Poe's description, H.D.describes the character in "Helen" as a brutal reminder of the hard times during war. The way she uses imagery and diction, creates a cold, hollow tone, which matches Helen's combo with death and destruction. These two poems show that although the two authors are talking about the same person they cause the reader to have two completely different perceptions of her.
The poems To Helen by Edgar Allen Poe and Helen by H. D. both talk about the same women Helen. Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world and the wife of the Spartan king. Helen either ran off or was abducted by the Trojan prince Paris. Being enraged the Spartan king Menelaus with other Greek warriors attacked and went to war with troy, resulting in the Trojan War which lasted ten years. Although both these famous poems speak of the same person their attitude toward Helen is quite different.
ReplyDeleteEdgar Allen Poe wrote his poem to Helen in 1831, Poe is known as one of the greatest poets during romanticism, his Poem to Helen is written in a romantic theme that describes the narrator being in love with Helen and portraying Helen as the most beautiful women ever and describing her beauty “like those Nicean barks of yore”. Some characteristics of American Romanticism in this poem are that it finds beauty and truth in exotic locales, the supernatural realm, and the inner world of imagination, this poem also finds inspiration in myth and legend. Although both these poems are about Helen they are both written in different tones, while Poe’s poem is written with a romantic rhythmic tone, H. D.’s poem is written in a more modern tone and has a negative attitude towards Helen.
H. D. wrote her poem Helen in 1924, here clear and modern style of writing easily shows the poem’s hatred towards Helen. This poem is the exact opposite of Edgar Allen Poe’s poem to Helen. This poem is also about Zeus’s daughter but is written with an attitude of hatred towards Helen, “all Greece hates the still eyes in the white face”. H. D. most likely shows a great deal of hate towards Helen because she caused a war that lasted 10 years and that took many lives of both sides of the war. Hilda Doolittle (H. D.) herself shares a connection with the tragedy of war because she lost her brother in World War I, this may also be a reason why she shows so much disdain towards Helen.
Although both these poems are about the same person, one shows the beauty and grace of Helen while the other shows the destruction that she has caused being the root to a big war. Poe’s poem is written in a romantic style which hails the beauty of Helen. However H. D.’s poem is written in a negative dark tone toward Zeus’s daughter showing the hate of Greece toward Helen. Both these poems show very different views and feelings toward Helen.
The poems “to Helen” by Edgar Allen Poe and “Helen”by H.D. have a lot of differences and similarities. They both talk about a “Helen”but the ways that they speak about her in the poems have different meanings. They both talk about similar things but the tone in which you read the poem it has a different meaning. One of the poems sounds sweeter than the other one.
ReplyDeleteSo the poem “To Helen” was about women named Helen of Troy who was from the Trojan War because of her beauty. Helen didn’t want to be with her husband “Menelaus” because she wanted to be with a prince name “Paris”. Later on her husband found out and he wanted her back and wanted justice to be done by himself. Greek mythology, Greek attacked the city of troy as retaliation for Paris of Troy because Paris stole Menelaus’s wife.
He compared her beauty “’hyacinth hair”, “classic face” “Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.” He is saying that her beauty makes him feel like hes home in rome.
One poem talks about how much he loves her and the other one how H.d hates Helen they just have different feelings about Helen .
In two different life times there are two poems writing about a woman, a woman named Helen. Helen was the daughter of Zeus and she got the attention of Poe who writes a lovely letter to her, which is a poem. The other poem shows hate rage and jealousy, towards the same person, Helen. The love poem was clearly written by a man, Edgar Allen Poe, and the poem full of hate and ravage was written by a woman Hilda Doolittle. This sounds like a little triangle love, but it couldn't have been because Poe and Doolittle never met, so there is no way Doolittle was jealous because Helen was stealing her man.
ReplyDeleteIn "To Helen" which is written by Poe describes her beautifulness in an angelic tone. She might have started the Trojan war by leaving her husband the King Menelaus of Sparta, for the prince of Troy. But in the poem "Helen" by Doolittle we can notice some hate by her tone, but how can she show such anger towards a girl she does not know? Both Poe and Doolittle agree that she is a beautiful piece of art, like an angle fallen from heaven. Doolittle acknowledges that Helen is beautiful, but that is basically the only thing she can agree on with Poe. If she agrees about Helens features, then why does she write so bitter?
Helen was a well known character and known as the most beautiful woman of the world. Women like this leave many men heartbroken because they wish for the most beautiful girl, and Poe explains it himself in his poem. In his first stanza he explains how her beauty makes him feel like if he is at home, and how he talk about the waves , which he is comparing to her soft smooth curves of her body. By using the ocean's wave to describe her beauty he is using Romanticism, which is the usage of nature to describe something else.
In "Helen" by Doolittle, she also uses Romanticism, but in a whole completely different way. Doolittle uses nature in a "nasty" way to describe her beautifulness. Helen brought misery to the two cites, and Doolittle decides to bring down Helen down with all her beauty. Like Helen brought this two cities two fight, Doolittle believed that Helen had no right to be happy so she brought the cities to denounce her. Doolittle hated the fact that Helen was happy after what she had provoked, and that is why she shows jealousy and bitterness in her poem.
Clearly the only thing that both Doolittle and Poe agree on is the gorgeous goddess' beauty. For Poe her reflection is just a soothing peaceful thing to bring back home. In Doolittle's opinion her beauty caused a tragic war, so for that reason Helen should be brought down along with her beautifulness. As one shows love for Helen, as the most innocent girl, the other one shows grief and despite for her betrayal. If this same war was able to occur in your two local cities, what poem would you agree with?
"To Helen" and "Helen" were 2 opposing views from Edgar Allen Poe and Hilda Doolittle. Poe saw Helen as the most beautiful woman on earth and Hilda saw Helen as the most hated woman and biggest threat to Greece. Helen might have started the 10 year Trojan War unintentionally, but Hilda didn't see it that way. Poe might have thought it was not necessary to include that part of Helen, for it wasn't her fault she was beautiful.
ReplyDelete"To Helen", was written in Poe's view of her in which signified beauty at its best in 1831, then revised in 1845. He compared her to nature by saying she had hyacinth hair and smelled as the perfumed sea did. In this poem there was no mention of her starting the Trojan war, seamingly showing that her outer beauty was blinding him. But who could possibly blind the great Poe who had deep thoughts towards society that changed romanticism? Despite the fact he spoke about Helen's outer appearance, I would assume that he would write about the bad side- after all he is The Dark Romantic.
Hilda Doolittle's poem "Helen", sees her as the blame for causing the Trojan War. She thought that one's exquisiteness could start a war and was not excuse. Yet it wasn't Helen's fault she was beautiful, but Hilda couldn't see that. Her abduction by Paris brought about the Trojan War and she was only in the middle of it all.
Poe, the dark romantic, would assume of Helen in dark ways that no one else could but didn't. Poe's past poems showed his view of nature that could not be compared to a human but Helen, in this case. Helen did cause the trojan War, but she wasn't to blame. Hilda might have been jealous of Helen's beauty and saw the war as an opportunity to blame beauty for her missery. Not much is said in her poem, but Greece's hatred for Helen.
Both poems had a major contradiction of Helen's attractiveness. Poe sees her beauty and Hilda sees her "wan" face, which caused illness and death throughout Greece for 10 years. Both opposing sides give us an image of her outer and inner look. In my opinion, Poe's poem wins the view battle. This poem might have just been an example of society. Helen is the government that blinds us from real and fake and the government begins the wars. Could have Helen been the government all along, blinding us from the reality behind politics and the threatning of nature?... after all, it is Edgar Allen Poe.
These two poems Edgar Allen Poe “To Helen” and Helen by Hilda Doolittle are in the same track but have their differences in each poem. Edgar Allan Poe's poem that I looked at deal with Helen through the eyes of Edgar Allan Poe seeing the true beauty of Helen with a poem to write about her only and dedicate to her. Both of these poems are intended to one and only beauty "To Helen." The first poem was written to not attempt to narrate the story or explain the emotions or actions of those who where involved.
ReplyDeleteIn the other hand Hilda Doolittle the speaker expresses absolutely no sympathy for Helen. The speaker, almost certainly a contemporary of Helen and says that she will not be happy until Helen is dead and buried. I assume that the speaker is a Greek, because the lives of the many Trojans who died in the Trojan War are not addressed. According to this poem, Greece hates Helen for possessing such beauty that would cause Paris to enter her life and take her to Troy thus starting a long bloody war that would ultimately cost many lives of Greek men. This I written towards not her beauty but the hate and jealous that she is beautiful.
Helen is given no compassion in this poem by Hilda Doolittle, but this only encourages us to pity and sympathize with her. Everyone loves an underdog. Each time Helen takes a verbal blow in this poem that refers to her in a very bad way its towards her , and then we root for her a little more. Although Helen is not seen as a victim in the poem, we begin to see her that way after we read it. Because the speaker wants to think of Helen as a bad evil person to not see her beauty such as the Edgar Allen Poe “To Helen” were he clearly states “Helen, thy beauty is to me” but the other poem by Hilda Doolittle is against her “All Greece HATES the still eyes int the white face” that shate towards Helen not Love.
But Edgar Allen Poe writes this poem dedicated to Helen where he describes her as beauty. The speaker of this poem is haunted by Helen's eyes, which he says never leave him. He really just does expresses himself very much regretting for having stopped to gaze at the beautiful Helen to begin with. His tone in this poem is really full of grief for what has unfolded in years since his encounter with Helen. He feels remorse for having met her in the first place, and wondered if having the opportunity to lay eyes on her so many years.
In both of these poems it's basically talking about Helen one in a good way and the other in a bad way . But while Edgar Allen Poe expressed himself with a poem dedicated to Helen and saying some wonderful words about her like her beauty and other triumphs of her . In Hilda Doolittle poem Helen is the enemy and shes just basically talking bad about her and being a fake person but might it be her jealousy towards Helen beauty . These both poems are really good but one just pops out more to me and that’s Edgar Allen Poe “To Helen” not because hes the nice guy her its just that hes being real about her and not hating towards her beauty and is the nice girl instead of the Bad evil girl who hates her and has so much hate that decides to express herself in a poem.