To Helen

Edgar Allan Poe 1809 (Boston) – 1849 (Baltimore)



Helen, thy beauty is to me
         Like those Nicean barks of yore,
       That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,
         The weary, wayworn wanderer bore
         To his own native shore.

       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.

       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!

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Submitted on May 13, 2011

Modified on May 02, 2023

26 sec read
300

Quick analysis:

Scheme ABABB CXCXC DEEDE
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 580
Words 88
Stanzas 3
Stanza Lengths 5, 5, 5

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor, and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. more…

All Edgar Allan Poe poems | Edgar Allan Poe Books

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