Explain the central idea of the poem To Helen The central idea of To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe - is beauty But it is not simple beauty It is beauty that heals It is beauty that guides It is beauty that gives peace to a tired mind Edgar Allan Poe shows how Helen s beauty brings him comfort hope and inspiration First the poem shows beauty as a way home The poet feels lost in life He feels tired He calls himself a weary way-worn wanderer Helen s beauty is like a gentle ship It is like the Nic an barks that carried lost sailors home Her beauty gives the poet rest It brings him back to safety It gives him a sense of belonging Second the poem shows beauty as inspiration Helen s hyacinth hair and classic face remind the poet of old Greece and old Rome These