Contrast of the speaker's point of view in "To Helen" by Edgar Allan Poe and "Helen" by HDHelen of Troy, known as the most beautiful woman in ancient Greek culture, was the catalyst for the Trojan War. As such, she is the subject of both Edgar Allen Poe's "To Helen" and HD's "Helen"; however, their perceptions of Helen are opposite. Many poets and authors have written about Helen speaking of her beauty and her treacherous actions. There is a huge contrast between Helen's views in both Poe and Doolittle poems. The reader can see the contrast between the speakers' views of Helen through their incorporation of diction, imagery, and tone that help convey the meaning of the work. The diction and imagery prevalent in both Poe and Doolittle poems help to emphasize the extreme contrast between the speakers' views of Helen. Poe, who chooses Helen as an allusion to his love Jane Stanard, portrays Helen with great admiration and respect through the incorporation of tremendous diction including the following elements: beauty, classical and statue-like face. There is a simile that compares Helen's beauty to “those Nicene boats of old” (2), which was a divine city close to the city of Troy. In addition, her “classic face” (7) further testifies to her extreme beauty. Poe provides sensory elements to emphasize her physical beauty, for example hyacinth, a flower with a bold scent. The speaker noting that Helen "looks like a statue" serves to say that her beauty will last forever, considering her perfection. Furthermore, Helen is compared to Psyche, who became a goddess thanks to her beauty which infatuated Cupid. Helen's beauty is as brilliant as the “greatness” (10) of Rome and even comparable to Psyche. However, HD's "Helen" depicts Helen as a more sinister and vile person...... middle of paper ...... za moves from pure emotion to an act on that emotion. The feeling is no longer a mental feeling, but an emotion that pushes them to become more physical. The tone is no longer vindictive but very neutral; the speaker's view of Helen changed from disgust to simple desire for repentance. Through the incorporation of tone, readers can infer the speaker's perspective on Helen. Since Helen of Troy is known for both her incomparable beauty and her treacherous actions in the ancient world, the contradictions in the authors' diction, imagery, and tone create a strong contrast. in the speaker's view of Helen. It can be determined that the speakers' opinions of Helen are formed through the implementation of strong diction and tone. Furthermore, literary elements have been used as an instrument to express and unravel the darkness that lies behind the curtains of perfection..