To Helen ( II )

The poem presents a vivid portrait of the subject, Helen, imbuing her with a beauty and grace that reflects the grandeur of ancient civilizations. The speaker uses classical allusions and vivid, sensual imagery to elevate Helen to an almost ethereal status. Helen is likened to the "Nicean barks," or ships, that would have carried Greek heroes home, her presence serving as a beacon that guides the "weary, wayworn wanderer" back to his "own native shore." The metaphor suggests a sense of nostalgic longing for a return to the splendor of the past, embodied in Helen's "hyacinth hair" and "classic face."

The tone is one of reverent admiration, the speaker in awe of Helen's beauty, which he equates to the "glory that was Greece" and the "grandeur that was Rome." There's an almost religious reverence to the speaker's description of Helen, particularly in the final stanza, where she's depicted as a divine figure holding an "agate lamp" in a "brilliant window niche" akin to a sacred altar. The closing reference to "Psyche" and the "Holy Land" further enhances the spiritual undertones of the poem. The poem's structure, comprised of three quatrains, offers a rhythmic, flowing quality that mirrors the gentle journey of the "Nicean barks" described in the poem, while also harkening back to the structure of classical Greek and Roman poetry. Overall, the poem is a powerful expression of romantic idealization, where the beauty of an individual is seen as a reflection and embodiment of the beauty of past civilizations and holy divinity.