The Bride of the Greek Isle

I found Heman's The Bride of the Greek Isle an excellent point of comparison to The Wife of Asdrubal. The poem begins by framing the protagonist, Eudora, as a sentimental, pastoral, and domestic figure. She laments, in a seemingly frivolous manner, the loss of "the vine at her father's door" and her "early years". She seems to lack the maturity, let alone conviction, of a character like the wife of Asdrubal. As the poem progresses, however, she transforms into a more masculine and violent character: "And her veil flung back, and her free dark hair/sway'd by the flames as they rock and flare;". This drastic transformation appears at first abrupt and almost unbelievable. Yet, there are small indications from the beginning of the poem, including the epigraph from Sardanapalus, that indicate Eudora's dormant conviction. This idea of women as pleasant creatures with fire and passion running deep, challenges the seemingly one-dimensional domestic character that Eudora embodies in the beginning. The balance between the pastoral and the female byronic hero would have pleased a wide audience of readers. Despite exhibiting erratic and violent behavior, it is inspired by the loss of her male counterpart. I find it more likely that men would enjoy the pastoral, domestic imagery of Eudora, in conjunction with her devotion to Ianthis, more so than the wife of Asdrubal.