The two poems, "To Helen" and "Helen," each present very different views about the ancient Greek woman, Helen of Troy. The contrasting opinions shown in the poems aid in understanding the difference between the way men felt about Helen, and the way women felt about Helen during the Trojan War.

The first conflicting element of the two poems jumps out in the titles. By titling the first poem "To Helen," one can infer that the words following will be praiseful and intended to compliment Helen. By plainly titling the second poem "Helen," one can easily infer that it will be the exact opposite of the preceding poem. The title embodies hate by simply addressing Helen with just her name.

It can be deduced from the reading that Helen's appearance was an important feature to Greek society. Whether one despised (as in "Helen") or loved (as in "To Helen...