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Difficulty: HardAllusions in Poetry

Read the following poem by Edgar Allan Poe (1809–1849) carefully:

To Helen

Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicéan barks of yore,
That gently, o'er a perfumed sea,
The weary, way-worn 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.

In the second stanza, the speaker's allusion to 'Naiad airs' (line 8) functions primarily to do which of the following?

  1. A
    illustrate the speaker's anxiety about the dangers of seductive mythical creatures who lure sailors to their doom
  2. B
    provide a detailed, historical description of the geographical landscape surrounding the ancient Roman empire
  3. C
    introduce a classical reference that merely lists mythological terms to demonstrate the poet's formal education
  4. characterize Helen's grace as a restorative, mythical force that brings spiritual stability to the speakerAnswer
  5. E
    reveal Edgar Allan Poe's personal biographical desire to escape the literary marketplace of nineteenth-century America

Answer

The speaker's allusion to 'Naiad airs' functions to characterize Helen's grace as a restorative, mythical force that brings spiritual stability to the speaker.
The correct answer is correct because Naiads are mythological water nymphs associated with freshwater springs, which carry connotations of life, purity, and restoration. By describing Helen as possessing 'Naiad airs' that bring him 'home' from 'desperate seas,' the speaker frames her grace as a divine, healing influence that provides spiritual and intellectual stability.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the allusion within the context of the passage.
The phrase 'Naiad airs' refers to Naiads, classical Greek water nymphs associated with fresh water, streams, and life-giving or restorative properties.
Understanding the source and traditional associations of the allusion is essential to determining its function in the poem.
2
Examine how the allusion relates to the surrounding imagery and tone.
The speaker is wandering on 'desperate seas' and is brought 'home' by Helen's 'classic face' and 'Naiad airs' to the 'glory that was Greece' and 'grandeur that was Rome.'
This contrasts the chaotic, unstable journey ('desperate seas') with the stabilizing, restorative, and inspiring homecoming provided by Helen's beauty.
3
Connect the allusion's function to the overarching theme of the poem.
The allusion elevates Helen's physical grace to a mythological, healing force that delivers the speaker from psychological/emotional isolation to a state of aesthetic and spiritual harmony.
This aligns the literal attributes of the mythological nymphs with the speaker's emotional redemption.

Key Concept

Identifying the thematic and symbolic function of classical allusions in poetry to convey a speaker's perspective and tone.
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Topics

Allusions in Poetry

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