Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicéan barks of yore,

1. 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 5 To his own native shore. On desperate seas long wont to roam, Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face, Thy Naiad1 airs have brought me home To the glory that was Greece, 10 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,2 from the regions which Are Holy-Land.

2. All Greece hates the still eyes in the white face, the lustre as of olives where she stands 5 and the white hands. All Greece reviles the wan face when she smiles, hating it deeper still when it grows wan and white, 10 remembering past enchantments and past ills. Greece sees, unmoved, God’s daughter, born of love, the beauty of cool feet 15 and slenderest knees, could love indeed the maid, only if she were laid, white ash amid funereal cypresses.

3. Complete the following steps for two of the poem pairs: • Write a brief summary of each stanza (literal). • Identify the theme(s) of each poem. • Identify tone(s) for each poem. • Mark places where each poem shifts (tone, topic, etc.) • Circle significant words or short phrases that you would be likely to analyze. (These should be relevant to theme or tone) • Write a thesis statement that encompasses both poems. (see instructions) For the other two pairs, just write a thesis statement.

4. Can be more than one sentence • Should be based on theme (or some other “big picture” aspect of the poem, like purpose). • Theme: speaker’s POV regarding the subject • Could focus on comparison: • “Both poems demonstrate . . .” • Could focus on contrast: • “While Smith’s poem suggests _______, Jones’ poem shows _______.” • Ideally will compare and contrast: • “Both Smith and Jones discuss ______, but Smith implies ____ while Jones implies _____. Thesis Statement: poem pairs