How Does Doolittle Present Greece's Attitude Towards Helen '?

The first poem “Helen,” by Hilda Doolittle, depicts the hatred of Greece towards Helen, the woman who was the cause of the Trojan War. The second poem, “Siren Song,” by Margaret Atwood is from the point of view of a Siren, half women and half bird. In both poems, the speaker doesn’t follow the traditional viewpoints that Greece still adores Helen and that the Siren Song is a beautiful song. In translation, the song is actually is a deadly song that lures nearby sailors and causes deleterious actions. In “Helen,” by Hilda Doolittle, the speaker’s initial attitude is strong hatefulness. In Doolittle’s first stanza, she goes into extreme details, blatantly pointing out, with no doubt that Greece hates Helen.

In the poem “Helen,” the speaker’s initial …show more content…
By using literary devices, Doolittle attracts the reader’s attention to the enmity that Greece has towards Helen. Doolittle uses strong phrases such as “All Greece hates” and “All Greece reviles” and uses diction to reiterate words that mean hatred. The author uses these words to emphasize the magnitude of the disdain towards Helen from Greece. Imagery is also used when H.D. claims that Helen was recollects her "past enchantments and past ills." H.D. uses antithesis on the words “enchantments” and “ills”. While “enchantment” shows how fondly she remembers her past, "ills" refers to her the past troubles she’s caused, such as causing the Trojan War. Helen remembers immense impact in Greece, being considered the most beautiful woman in the world, but she isn’t affected about the disturbance she caused