Author: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

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    Last night I saw Helena. She whose praise
        Of late all men have sounded. She for whom
        Young Angus rashly sought a silent tomb
    Rather than live without her all his days.

    Wise men go mad who look upon her long,
        She is so ripe with dangers. Yet meanwhile
        I find no fascination in her smile,
    Although I make her theme of this poor song.

    "Her golden tresses?" yes, they may be fair,
        And yet to me each shining silken tress
        Seems robbed of beauty and all lusterless - 
    Too many hands have stroked Helena's hair.

    (I know a little maiden so demure
        She will not let her one true lover's hands
        In playful fondness touch her soft brown bands,
    So dainty-minded is she, and so pure.)

    "Her great dark eyes that flash like gems at night?
        Large, long-lashed eyes and lustrous?" that may be,
        And yet they are not beautiful to me.
    Too many hearts have sunned in their delight.

    (I mind me of two tender blue eyes, hid
        So underneath white curtains, and so veiled
        That I have sometimes plead for hours, and failed
    To see more than the shyly lifted lid.)

    "Her perfect mouth so like a carvd kiss?"
        "Her honeyed mouth, where hearts do, fly-like, drown?"
        I would not taste its sweetness for a crown;
    Too many lips have drank its nectared bliss.

    (I know a mouth whose virgin dew, undried,
        Lies like a young grape's bloom, untouched and sweet,
        And though I plead in passion at her feet,
    She would not let me brush it if I died.)

    In vain, Helena! though wise men may vie
        For thy rare smile or die from loss of it,
        Armored by my sweet lady's trust, I sit,
    And know thou art not worth her faintest sigh.

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Type of Poem: Sonnet

Date Written:

Date Published:

Language: English

Keywords: Public Domain

Source: Public Domain Collection

Publisher:

Rights/Permissions: Public Domain

Comments/Notes: The poem carries a strong theme of untouched purity versus experienced beauty. The speaker, presumably a man, is contrasting Helena, a woman famed for her beauty and allure, with a less worldly girl, whose charm lies in her innocence and modesty. Helena's beauty, though acknowledged by all, has been tainted through over-exposure, according to the speaker; her hair has been stroked by too many hands, her eyes have delighted too many hearts, and her mouth has been tasted by too many lips. This concept of 'used' beauty is contrasted with the untouched, virginal beauty of the less experienced girl, who refuses to let even her lover touch her hair or lips.

The poem's tone is one of thoughtful rejection. The speaker rejects the universally accepted beauty of Helena in favor of a more modest and reserved attraction. This is reflected in the structure of the poem, with each stanza first exploring the supposed charm of Helena, and then contrasting it with the speaker's preferred, less assuming beauty. The poem employs a number of literary devices, including visual imagery, contrast, and irony. There is a subtle but biting critique of societal notions of beauty and desire, and the speaker's preference for the 'little maiden' over Helena is a clear statement against the objectification and commodification of women's beauty.