To Helen

Helen of Troy was "the face that launched a thousand ships" such as the "Nicean barks" of the poem.

We can point out that Nicaean is not, as has been charged, a pretty bit of gibberish, but the adjective for the City of Nice, where a major shipworks was: Marc Antony's fleet was built there.

We can defend perfumed sea, which has been called silly, by noting that classical ships never left sight of land, and could smell orchards on shore, that perfumed oil was an extensive industry in classical times and that ships laden with it would smell better than your shipload of sheep.

[5]Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfum'd sea, The weary way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.

Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore.

Lo, in yon brilliant window-niche How statue-like I see thee stand, The agate lamp within thy hand, Ah!