ToHelen爱伦坡

ToHelenisthefirstoftwopoemstocarrythatnamewrittenbyEdgarAllanPoe.The15-linepoemwaswritteninhonorofJaneStanard,themotherofachildhoodfriend.Itwasfirstpublishedin1831collectionPoemsofEdgarA.Poethenreprintedin1836intheSouthernLiteraryMessenger.Poerevisedthepoemin1845,makingseveralimprovements,mostnotablychangingthebeautyoffairGreece,andthegrandeurofoldRometotheglorythatwasGreeceandthegrandeurthatwasRome.Theseimprovedlinesarethemostwell-knownlinesofthepoem.BackgroundEdgarAllanPoewrote“ToHelen”asareflectiononthebeautyofMrs.JaneStithStanard,whodiedin1824.ShewasthemotherofoneofPoe’sschoolclassmates,RobertStanard.WhenRobertinvitedEdgar,then14,tohishomein1823,Poewasgreatlytakenwiththe27-year-oldwoman,whoissaidtohaveurgedhimtowritepoetry.Hewaslatertowritethatshewashisfirstreallove.ThemeThethemeofthisshortpoemisthebeautyofawomanwithwhomPoebecameacquaintedwhenhewas14.Apparentlyshetreatedhimkindlyandmayhaveurgedhim–orperhapsinspiredhim–towritepoetry.Beauty,asPoeusesthewordinthepoem,appearstorefertothewoman'ssoulaswellasherbody.Ontheonehand,herepresentsherasHelenofTroy–thequintessenceofphysicalbeauty–atthebeginningofthepoem.Ontheother,herepresentsherasPsyche–thequintessenceofsoulfulbeauty–attheendofthepoem.InGreek,psychemeanssoul.ImageryandSummaryofthePoemPoeopensthepoemwithasimile–“Helen,thybeautyistome/LikethoseNicéanbarksofyore”–thatcomparesthebeautyofHelenwithsmallsailingboats(barks)thatcarriedhometravelersinancienttimes.Heextendsthisboatimageryintothesecondstanza,whenhesaysHelenbroughthimhometotheshoresofthegreatestcivilizationsofantiquity,classicalGreeceandRome.ItmaywellhavebeenthatMrs.Stanard’sbeautyandotheradmirablequalities,aswellashertakingnoticeofPoe’swritingability,helpedinspirehimtowritepoetrythatmimickedinsomewaystheclassicaltraditionofGreeceandRome.Certainlythepoem’sallusionstomythologyandtheclassicalagesuggestthathehadagroundingin,andafondnessfor,ancienthistoryandliterature.Inthefinalstanzaofthepoem,PoeimaginesthatMrs.Stanard(Helen)standingbeforehiminarecessoralcoveinfrontofawindow.Sheisholdinganagatelamp,asthebeautifulPsychedidwhenshediscoveredtheidentityofEros(Cupid).Forfurtherinformationontheagatelamp,Psyche,andEros,seesthecommentsoppositethethirdstanza.Analysis:AsistypicalwithmanyofPoe'spoems,therhythmandrhymeschemeofToHelenisirregularbutmusicalinsound.Thepoemconsistsofthreestanzasoffivelineseach,wheretheendrhymeofthefirststanzaisABABB,thatofthesecondisABABA,andthatofthethirdisABBAB.Poeusessoothing,positivewordsandrhythmstocreateafittingtoneandatmosphereforthepoem.Hisconcludingimageisthatoflight,withabrilliantwindownicheandtheagatelampsuggestingtheglowingoftheHolyLand,forwhichHelenisthebeacon.ToHelenisthefirstoftwopoemstocarrythatnamewrittenbyPoe.The15-linepoemwaswritteninhonorofJaneStanard,themotherofachildhoodfriend..Itwasfirstpublishedin1831collectionPoemsofEdgarA.Poethenreprintedin1836intheSouthernLiteraryMessenger.Poerevisedthepoemin1845,makingseveralimprovements,mostnotablychangingthebeautyoffairGreece,andthegrandeurofoldRometotheglorythatwasGreeceandthegrandeurthatwasRome.Theseimprovedlinesarethemostwell-knownlinesofthepoem.ImageryandSummaryofthePoemPoeopensthepoemwithasimile–“Helen,thybeautyistome/LikethoseNicéanbarksofyore”–thatcomparesthebeautyofHelenwithsmallsailingboatsthatcarriedhometravelersinancienttimes.Heextendsthisboatimageryintothesecondstanza,whenhesaysHelenbroughthimhometotheshoresofthegreatestcivilizationsofantiquity,classicalGreeceandRome.ItmaywellhavebeenthatMrs.Stanard’sbeautyandotheradmirablequalities,aswellashertakingnoticeofPoe’swritingability,helpedinspirehimtowritepoetrythatmimickedinsomewaystheclassicaltraditionofGreeceandRome.Certainlythepoem’sallusionstomythologyandtheclassicalagesuggestthathehadagroundingin,andafondnessfor,ancienthistoryandliterature.Inthefinalstanzaofthepoem,PoeimaginesthatMrs.Stanard(Helen)isstandingbeforehiminarecessoralcoveinfrontofawindow.Sheisholdinganagatelamp,asthebeautifulPsychedidwhenshediscoveredtheidentityofEros(Cupid).Forfurtherinformationontheagatelamp,Psyche,andEros,seethecommentsoppositethethirdstanza.TheThemeThebeautyofawomanwithwhomPoebecameacquaintedwhenhewas14.Apparentlyshetreatedhimkindlyandmayhaveurgedhimorperhapsinspiredhimtowritepoetry.Beauty,asPoeusesthewordinthepoem,appearstorefertothewoman’sbodyaswellashersoul.Ontheonehand,herepresentsherasHelenofTroy—thequintessence（典范）ofphysicalbeauty-atthebeginningofthispoem.Ontheother,herrepresentsherasPsyche–attheendofthepoem.InGreek,Psychemeanssoul.Stanza1ThepoetfirstmentionedHelen,themostfamousbeautyinGreatmythology.ThenPoecomparedhimselftoOdysseus,whowanderedfortenyearsovertheseatogethome.AsOdysseus,EdgarAllanPoewaspersistentinhischasingafterfineartswiththesincerebeliefthatart,orbeautyandtruth,istheultimateaim,thehome,forthewanderingpoet;whileHelen,theembodimentofancientbeauty,istheguidertothatdreamland诗人第一次提到海伦,最著名的风景就像是伟大神话。然后坡把自己比做奥德修斯,就是走迷了十年海里回家。作为奥德修斯、埃德加·爱伦·坡执说捕美真诚的信仰,艺术、美与真,不是最终的目的,;海伦的美,体现古代美,是那梦境的向导。Stanza2Alltheartandliteratureoriginatedfromonething---beauty.HavingtakenHele