To Helen

The sea as a literary symbol appears in the Greek myths Poe references in “To Helen.” It endures as a common symbol over many centuries of poetry. Poe’s wanderer of yore (from the past) travels “o'er a perfumed sea” (Line 3). The sea represents being away from home, adventure, and conflict.

Like the term Nicéan barks, scholars have debated the kinds of perfumes Poe imagined and if they indicate the identity of Poe’s wanderer. For instance, one theory is that the sea is the Mediterranean and the wanderer is Roman poet Catullus. Often, the sea is considered the Aegean Sea, and the wanderer is considered to be Odysseus. Regardless of their identity, the sea antagonizes travelers, which is reflected in Poe’s diction (word choice): “On desperate seas” (Line 6). Being at sea is a vulnerable, or desperate, state.

The “agate lamp” (Line 13) Helen carries in the final stanza holds the brightness associated with her beauty and domesticity. Her window is like the window of a lighthouse, and her lamp is like the one that shines out to travelers at sea. It is a signal of home and love.

When read with the following lines, the agate lamp takes on an additional mythical meaning.