From Admiration to Sorrow: The Two Versions of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe

To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe stands as a timeless ode to idealized beauty and inspiration. However, what many readers may not realize is that Poe wrote two versions of this poem—one in 1831 and another in 1848—each offering a different perspective on his muse, Helen.

The 1831 version is an exaltation of beauty, comparing Helen to the guiding light that leads a weary traveler home. This poem reflects Poe’s admiration for classical ideals, drawing references from Greek and Roman civilizations and likening Helen’s beauty to the grace of ancient mythology.

The 1848 version, however, takes on a more melancholic and haunting tone. Rather than celebrating beauty, it mourns a lost love, presenting Helen as a ghostly figure, possibly inspired by Poe’s grief over his deceased wife, Virginia Clemm. This version shifts from admiration to sorrow, painting Helen as an unattainable vision, now belonging to the afterlife.

By examining both versions of To Helen, we gain insight into Poe’s evolving thoughts on beauty, love, and mortality. This post will present both poems, analyze their themes, and compare their emotional depth, revealing how Poe’s perception of his muse transformed over time.

Explore: Poets and Poetry Page | Famous Quotes by Edgar Allan Poe | Edgar Allan Poe Biography | Poems by Edgar Allan Poe |

To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe (Both Versions)

To Helen 1 – Written in 1831

Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicæan 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!
_{~ To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe (1831)}

Summary of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe (1831)

In To Helen, Edgar Allan Poe expresses his admiration for Helen, portraying her as a symbol of beauty, grace, and inspiration. The poem is widely believed to be an ode to Helen of Troy, the legendary figure whose beauty sparked the Trojan War, though some scholars argue that it was inspired by Jane Stanard, a woman Poe admired in his youth.

In the first stanza, the speaker compares Helen’s beauty to “Nicæan barks of yore,” which refers to ancient ships that once brought weary travelers home. He likens himself to a wanderer who has been lost at sea, and Helen’s beauty acts as a guiding force, bringing him back to a place of comfort and peace.

The second stanza continues the theme of admiration, describing Helen’s features—her “hyacinth hair” and “classic face”—as reminiscent of ancient Greek and Roman ideals of beauty. The speaker feels that Helen’s presence revives the grandeur of these civilizations, reinforcing the idea that she is not just physically beautiful but also embodies the cultural and intellectual brilliance of the past.

In the final stanza, the speaker envisions Helen standing like a statue in a window, holding an agate lamp. He compares her to Psyche, the soul in Greek mythology, suggesting that she is otherworldly and divine. The reference to the “Holy Land” further elevates her to a sacred status, reinforcing the notion that Helen represents a transcendent, almost spiritual ideal of beauty and inspiration.

Overall, To Helen is a deeply romantic and classical poem that equates beauty with artistic and cultural greatness, positioning Helen as a timeless muse who inspires the speaker with visions of a glorious past.

To Helen 2 – Written in 1848

I saw thee once- once only- years ago:
I must not say how many- but not many.
It was a July midnight; and from out
A full-orbed moon, that, like thine own soul, soaring,
Sought a precipitate pathway up through heaven,
There fell a silvery-silken veil of light,
With quietude, and sultriness, and slumber,
Upon the upturned faces of a thousand
Roses that grew in an enchanted garden,
Where no wind dared to stir, unless on tiptoe-
Fell on the upturn’d faces of these roses
That gave out, in return for the love-light,
Their odorous souls in an ecstatic death-
Fell on the upturn’d faces of these roses
That smiled and died in this parterre, enchanted
By thee, and by the poetry of thy presence.
Clad all in white, upon a violet bank
I saw thee half reclining; while the moon
Fell on the upturn’d faces of the roses,
And on thine own, upturn’d- alas, in sorrow!

Was it not Fate, that, on this July midnight-
Was it not Fate, (whose name is also Sorrow,)
That bade me pause before that garden-gate,
To breathe the incense of those slumbering roses?
No footstep stirred: the hated world an slept,
Save only thee and me. (Oh, Heaven!- oh, God!
How my heart beats in coupling those two words!)
Save only thee and me. I paused- I looked-
And in an instant all things disappeared.
(Ah, bear in mind this garden was enchanted!)

The pearly lustre of the moon went out:
The mossy banks and the meandering paths,
The happy flowers and the repining trees,
Were seen no more: the very roses’ odors
Died in the arms of the adoring airs.
All- all expired save thee- save less than thou:
Save only the divine light in thine eyes-
Save but the soul in thine uplifted eyes.
I saw but them- they were the world to me!
I saw but them- saw only them for hours,
Saw only them until the moon went down.
What wild heart-histories seemed to he enwritten
Upon those crystalline, celestial spheres!
How dark a woe, yet how sublime a hope!
How silently serene a sea of pride!
How daring an ambition; yet how deep-
How fathomless a capacity for love!

But now, at length, dear Dian sank from sight,
Into a western couch of thunder-cloud;
And thou, a ghost, amid the entombing trees
Didst glide away. Only thine eyes remained;
They would not go- they never yet have gone;
Lighting my lonely pathway home that night,
They have not left me (as my hopes have) since;
They follow me- they lead me through the years.
They are my ministers- yet I their slave.
Their office is to illumine and enkindle-
My duty, to be saved by their bright light,
And purified in their electric fire,
And sanctified in their elysian fire.
They fill my soul with Beauty (which is Hope),
And are far up in Heaven- the stars I kneel to
In the sad, silent watches of my night;
While even in the meridian glare of day
I see them still- two sweetly scintillant
Venuses, unextinguished by the sun!
_{~ To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe (1831)}

Summary of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe (1848)

This poem, often considered an extension of To Helen, captures a moment of intense admiration and longing as the speaker recalls a fleeting encounter with a mysterious woman. The poem is filled with a sense of nostalgia, sorrow, and an almost supernatural enchantment surrounding the memory of this woman.

In the first stanza, the speaker recounts seeing her one July midnight, bathed in moonlight in an enchanted garden where roses flourished in an almost dreamlike stillness. The woman, dressed in white, is described as possessing an ethereal beauty, and her presence seems to infuse the garden with poetry and enchantment. However, her upturned face reflects sorrow, hinting at an unspoken tragedy.

The second stanza suggests that fate, or sorrow itself, guided the speaker to this moment. The world seemed asleep except for the speaker and the woman, intensifying the intimacy of the scene. As he gazes upon her, everything else fades away—the moonlight, the garden, even the scent of the roses—until only her eyes remain, holding all the emotions of the universe.

The third stanza explores the depth of those eyes, which contain the history of a wild heart—sorrow, hope, pride, ambition, and an immense capacity for love. When the moon sets and she vanishes like a ghost among the trees, only her eyes remain with him, haunting his thoughts.

In the final lines, the speaker reveals that her eyes have never left him; they continue to guide and inspire him like celestial beings. He is both enslaved by and devoted to their light, seeing them as sources of beauty, hope, and divine inspiration. Even under the bright sun, their presence remains with him, shining like two radiant Venuses that will never fade.

The poem is a meditation on beauty, memory, and longing, portraying love as something eternal and haunting, illuminating the speaker’s soul even long after the beloved has disappeared.

Literary Differences in Two Versions of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe

The two versions of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe, though similar in theme, differ in their tone, style, and emotional depth. Below are the key differences between them:

1. Subject and Focus

First Version (1831/1845)
- A classical and idealized tribute to beauty and inspiration.
- Compares Helen’s beauty to Greek and Roman grandeur, emphasizing admiration and reverence.
- The speaker sees her as a guiding light, much like the Nicæan ships leading weary travelers home.
Second Version (Late Version – 1848/1850, often untitled but linked to “To Helen”)
- A deeply personal and melancholic reflection on a past encounter.
- Focuses more on an intimate, dreamlike moment with a woman (possibly inspired by Sarah Helen Whitman).
- The woman’s beauty is still divine, but sorrow and fate play a bigger role in shaping the encounter.

2. Tone and Mood

First Version: Romantic, idealistic, and classical. The tone is one of admiration and gratitude.
Second Version: Darker, dreamlike, and sorrowful. The tone is nostalgic, almost obsessive, with an eerie, supernatural quality.

3. Imagery and Symbolism

First Version: Uses Greco-Roman imagery (Greece, Rome, Psyche, and mythological references). The woman is a muse-like figure.
Second Version: Uses gothic and mystical imagery (enchanted gardens, glowing eyes, ghostly presence). The woman is more of a lost love or spectral figure.

4. Representation of the Woman

First Version: The woman is an abstract ideal of beauty and inspiration.
Second Version: The woman is a real but possibly supernatural figure who continues to haunt the speaker.

5. Ending and Message

First Version: Ends with the speaker admiring Helen in a statue-like pose, almost as a goddess.
Second Version: Ends with the woman’s eyes lingering beyond time, continuing to influence the speaker’s soul, showing the depth of his devotion and sorrow.

Conclusion:

The first version is an ode to classical beauty and inspiration, while the second version is a haunting meditation on love, memory, and loss. Both versions celebrate the power of beauty, but the later version carries a more personal, melancholic, and mystical atmosphere.