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1、"ToHelen"isthefirstoftwopoemstocarrythatnamewrittenbyEdgarAllanPoe.The15-linepoemwaswritteninhonorofJaneStanard,themotherofachildhoodfriend.Itwasfirstpublishedin1831collectionPoemsofEdgarA.Poethenreprintedin1836intheSouthernLiteraryMessenger.Poerevise
2、dthepoemin1845,makingseveralimprovements,mostnotablychanging"thebeautyoffairGreece,andthegrandeurofoldRome"to"theglorythatwasGreeceandthegrandeurthatwasRome."Theseimprovedlinesarethemostwell-knownlinesofthepoem.BackgroundEdgarAllanPoewrote“ToHelen”asa
3、reflectiononthebeautyofMrs.JaneStithStanard,whodiedin1824.ShewasthemotherofoneofPoe’sschoolclassmates,RobertStanard.WhenRobertinvitedEdgar,then14,tohishomein1823,Poewasgreatlytakenwiththe27-year-oldwoman,whoissaidtohaveurgedhimtowritepoetry.Hewaslater
4、towritethatshewashisfirstreallove.ThemeThethemeofthisshortpoemisthebeautyofawomanwithwhomPoebecameacquaintedwhenhewas14.Apparentlyshetreatedhimkindlyandmayhaveurgedhim–orperhapsinspiredhim–towritepoetry.Beauty,asPoeusesthewordinthepoem,appearstorefert
5、othewoman'ssoulaswellasherbody.Ontheonehand,herepresentsherasHelenofTroy–thequintessenceofphysicalbeauty–atthebeginningofthepoem.Ontheother,herepresentsherasPsyche–thequintessenceofsoulfulbeauty–attheendofthepoem.InGreek,psychemeanssoul. ImageryandSum
6、maryofthePoemPoeopensthepoemwithasimile–“Helen,thybeautyistome/LikethoseNicéanbarksofyore”–thatcomparesthebeautyofHelenwithsmallsailingboats(barks)thatcarriedhometravelersinancienttimes.Heextendsthisboatimageryintothesecondstanza,whenhesaysHelenbrough
7、thimhometotheshoresofthegreatestcivilizationsofantiquity,classicalGreeceandRome.ItmaywellhavebeenthatMrs.Stanard’sbeautyandotheradmirablequalities,aswellashertakingnoticeofPoe’swritingability,helpedinspirehimtowritepoetrythatmimickedinsomewaystheclass
8、icaltraditionofGreeceandRome.Certainlythepoem’sallusionstomythologyandtheclassicalagesuggestthathehadagroundingin,andafondnessfor,ancienthistoryandliterature.Inthefinalstanzaofthepoem,PoeimaginesthatMrs.Stanard(Helen)standingbeforehiminarecess
