The Use Of Greek Allusions In Edgar Allen Poe's To Helen

By definition, the use of allusions permits writers to simplify complex ideas or emotions. Additionally, the use of Greek allusions gives a slight extra effect of dreamlike and magical effects. Edgar Allen Poe, a poet of the Romantic Movement, is one of the greatest American writers to emerge during the nineteenth century. Poe's poem, "To Helen," first published in 1831 alludes to the one and only, the beautiful Helen of Troy. This poem is about the appreciation of a woman's beauty; not only concerning the body but also concerning the soul. Allusions transform this poem into something relatable for Poe's readers. Throughout the poem, Poe compares his love to not only the most beautiful woman in Greek times but to multiple of the most powerful