“Portrait of a Lady” Summary

• "You have had extramarital sex, but it was in a different country, and the woman is dead anyways." — Quotation from The Jew of Malta, a play by Christopher Marlow.

  Part I

  On a smoggy December afternoon, the setting appears to set itself up on its own, as it always does, with sayings like "I have reserved this time for you" and four candles casting halos of light on the ceiling of an otherwise dark room. Reminiscent of the tomb where Juliet (of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet) died, the ambiance of the room is perfect for all the things that will be said (or not said) there. Let's say that we just went to a performance by whichever Polish musician is now in fashion, and watched as his expression flowed through his body. "This piece by Chopin is so deep and personal that it should only be played in the company of two or three friends, people who won't agitate such a beautiful, delicate piece, which is disrupted in a larger venue." Our conversation meanders through the surface level of our thoughts and feelings, all while muffled horns and violins play in the background.

  "You don't know how important my friends are to me, and how difficult it is, while leading a life made up of such random, meaningless activities (I don't love this sort of lifestyle... You were already aware? You do pay attention, after all! You're so perceptive!) to find a friend who has the right characteristics—someone who both possesses and gives the qualities necessary for a meaningful friendship. In fact, it's so important that I'll tell you this: without true friendships, life is a nightmare!" Amidst the winding violins and little melodies of damaged horns, a dull drum starts beating its own song inside my head. This song is prone to sudden changes, but it is still prolonged, boring, and inexpressive, with at least one incorrectly-played note. Let's get some air, all while in a gaze of tobacco smoke, and admire the local landmarks, talk about current events, adjust our watches using public clocks, and then sit around drinking beer for half an hour.

  II

  Now that lilacs are in season, the lady displays them in her room, fiddling with one as she speaks. "Oh, my friend, you don't really understand life, even though it's right in front of you." (She continues twisting the lilac stems.) "You go with the flow, letting life pass by. Youth is callous and doesn't feel guilt, and it brashly smiles in the face of things it does not recognize or understand." As one might expect, I continue smiling and sipping my tea. "Still, the sunsets in April remind me of my own youth, long gone, and Paris during Spring, so I feel extremely peaceful, and find that the world is actually delightful and youthful in the end."

  Her voice starts again like the unrelenting, off-key song of a broken violin on an afternoon in August. "I'm always certain that you understand my emotions, always certain that you perceive them, certain that you reach out to me across this gap.

  "Nothing can hurt you, because you have no fatal flaw. You'll just keep living your life, and when you have succeeded, you can say: many other people have failed at this point.

  "But what do I have, what do I have, to offer you, my friend? What can you glean from me? Just the companionship and compassion of someone nearing death.

  "So I'll keep sitting here, drinking tea with my friends."

  I got my hat, preparing to leave. How can I timidly make up for what she's just told me? I spend each morning in the park, reading the comics and sports sections of the newspaper. In particular, I've noticed the following headlines: an English noblewoman is becoming an actress, a Greek person was killed at a Polish dance, and another person who failed to repay a bank loan has admitted wrongdoing. I maintain my outward composure and control over my emotions—that is, until a worn-out, mechanized piano on the street starts reciting a stale and overplayed song. Its tune mingles with the fragrance of hyacinths, reminding me of things that other people long for. I'm left wondering whether their romantic desires are right or wrong.

  III

  The October evening descends, and I go back to her home. This trip is similar to those before, except that I feel slight discomfort. I climb the stairs and open the door, feeling defeated, like I've been brought to my hands and knees. "So, you'll be traveling abroad. When will you get back? But that's a silly thing to ask, as you probably don't know, and you'll find so much to explore while you're away." With great effort, I smile at all her knickknacks.

  "Maybe you'll be able to write me letters." My self-assurance comes back in a momentary flash, as I'd expected this sort of romantic advance. "I've been wondering lately (but when we start something, we never know how it will turn out in the end!) why the two of us haven't developed a real friendship." I feel like a person who smiles and turns around only to be suddenly taken aback by the expression he sees in the mirror. My self-assurance falters; we're in a state of complete ignorance.

  "Because everyone said we would, all of our mutual friends. They were all certain that we would empathize with one another! I struggle to understand it myself. But now, we must leave our relationship in the hands of fate. Besides, you will write, and maybe our relationship can be salvaged yet. In the meantime, I'll keep sitting here, drinking tea with my friends." I have to adopt the behavior of others in order to express myself, dancing like a dancing bear, crying out like a parrot, and babbling like an ape. Let's get some air in a haze of tobacco smoke. Well then! What if she dies on a gray and hazy afternoon and enters a more pleasant, yellow and pink evening atmosphere? What if she leaves me sitting with a pen in my hand, smog drifting down from the rooftops, unsure of my feelings, my knowledge, my wisdom or foolishness, hastiness or lateness... If that were to happen, wouldn't she have the upper-hand in the end? The music gradually decreases in volume, in a "dying fall," as this talk of death has reminded me... And should I be entitled to smile?

“Portrait of a Lady” Themes

• 

  The Shallowness and Monotony of Modern Life

  The speaker of “Portrait of a Lady” reflects on his last three meetings with an older female acquaintance. Though they enjoy the benefits of modern society—especially its emphasis on intellectualism, the arts, and leisure—both figures’ daily lives are repetitive and tiresome, and they seem to drift through their cultured routines in a disconnected haze. The meaninglessness of their day-to-day existences leaves both the speaker and the lady feeling dissatisfied, and through this, the poem suggests that modern life is a tedious, shallow, and ultimately unfulfilling affair.

  Both the speaker and the lady partake in fashionable modern activities, yet their lifestyles are boring and repetitive:

  • Describing his first visit to the lady’s home, the speaker says that “the scene arrange[s] itself — as it will seem to do,” suggesting that their interactions feel entirely predictable.
  • He adds that he and the lady “have been, let us say, to hear the latest Pole” play music, using nonspecific language to suggest that their outings are generic and uninteresting; he could swap in any number of events in for this concert and the gist of the scene wouldn’t change.

  Boredom and repetition are not confined to the speaker and the lady’s visits, either, but pervade these characters’ daily lives:

  • Once the speaker escapes his conversation with the lady, he can only hope to embark on another series of mundane activities. He proposes “admir[ing] the monuments” and “discuss[ing] the late events,” for example, and also says that he can be seen “any morning in the park.”
  • Meanwhile, the lady is always sitting in the same place, “serving tea to friends.”

  Again, then, it seems that the leisurely activities of modern life blend together, becoming nothing but expected routines that leave both the speaker and the lady feeling unimpressed and unfulfilled:

  • Despite having just experienced a wonderful rendition of Chopin, for instance, the speaker is bored throughout this visit, a “dull” drum playing a “monotone” tune in his head the whole time. He lives his life in a sort of “tobacco trance,” a directionless haze of leisure and routine.
  • Similarly, the lady remarks that her life is “composed so much, so much of odds and ends.” In other words, her life is constructed or artificial, made up of meaningless frivolities that she admittedly “[does] not love.”

  The poem thus suggests that modern life, though full of culture and leisure, can’t give the speaker or the lady the sense of meaning or fulfillment they crave. Instead, the tedium and superficiality of the speaker and the lady’s daily lives leave them feeling jaded and listless.

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.
• 

  Propriety, Communication, and Isolation

  The poem suggests that emotional intimacy offers a reprieve from the meaninglessness of high society life, yet the interactions between the young man and the lady are as superficial and dull as the monotonous activities that fill their days. Throughout their awkward interactions, it becomes clear that their commitment to being polite and “proper” holds them back from open and honest communication, and thus from experiencing the intimacy required to form fulfilling relationships.

  Genuine relationships appear to be the only hope for a break from the superficiality and meaninglessness of both characters’ social lives:

  • The lady explains that without strong friendships, life is a nightmare (or, as she puts it, “life, what cauchemar!”).
  • The speaker reveals a similar desire for intimacy, losing his confidence when the lady notes that the two of them haven’t formed a bond and the speaker realizes that he might be “in the dark” when it comes to fostering genuine relationships.

  Yet even as these characters seem to crave emotional connection, such connection is “rare and strange” in upper-class circles that reward propriety and formality:

  • Both the speaker and the lady seem more concerned with what’s fashionable and respectable than with having an authentic interaction. They use hifalutin language to talk about “the latest” music and regularly sit around drinking tea, for example.
  • Both also express a desire to live up to other’s expectations: the lady keeps trying to form a relationship with the speaker because “everybody said [that they would], all our friends!” The speaker, meanwhile, measures his own desires against those of “other people” and is constantly concerned with his “countenance,” or the way he comes across to others.

  Because neither party is able to speak openly and honestly, both miss out on the chance for what might have been a meaningful relationship:

  • While the lady attempts to share her feelings with the young man, for example, she does so only indirectly, and this drives him away. For instance, she implies that he does not possess the attributes necessary for true friendship by explaining that it is rare “To find a friend who has these qualities, / Who has, and gives / Those qualities upon which friendship lives.” The lady resists simply expressing her emotional needs, and her roundabout language irks the speaker and prompts him to leave.
  • Meanwhile, the young man will not admit his distaste for the lady, which would be offensive according to upper-class etiquette. Instead, he goes on smiling, pretending that all is well, which she sees as disingenuous and immature.
  • Both characters’ commitment to the rules of “polite society” thus leaves them unable to speak honestly with one another.

  The one thing the lady does seem to be upfront about is their failure to form an emotional connection. But when the young man is faced with his own lack of emotional intelligence, he remarks, “I must borrow every changing shape / to find expression…” In other words, he is so unsure of how to handle emotional expression—and so mired in social convention—that he resorts to mimicking the behaviors of others.

  In the end, it’s clear that the value that their social circles place on respectability, politeness, and formality prevents the young man and the lady from the communication required of genuine relationships. Both characters display a profound discomfort and distaste for sincerity and authenticity, which prevents them from finding the emotional intimacy they crave.

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.
• 

  The Pitfalls of Youth

  The older lady of the poem’s title suggests that the speaker’s nonchalant approach to life is immature and dangerous. Young people, the lady implies, aren’t nearly as invincible as they think they are—and are in fact dangerously blind to the struggles that the future may hold. By contrast, the lady says that old age grants wisdom and perspective that the speaker would do well to heed—lest he end up lonely and regretful like her. Ultimately, the poem implies, young people lack the experience required to make the most of their lives while they still can. In other words, youth is wasted on the young.

  The lady believes that young people take their youth for granted and don’t fully think through the repercussions of their decisions:

  • She tells the speaker that young people “do not know / What life is, you who hold it in your hands.” Instead, they “let it flow,” allowing youth to pass them by rather than actively and thoughtfully building a future.
  • She also repeatedly hints that there is a good chance that the speaker’s youthful rashness will end in disaster. She ominously says that “our beginnings never know our ends” and that “youth […] smiles at situations which it cannot see,” implying that young people ‘s (willful) ignorance makes them overly optimistic about the future.
  • She even compares the speaker to a demi-god, sarcastically saying, “You are invulnerable, you have no Achilles heel.” The lady is suggesting that the speaker is more fallible than he thinks he is, and thus that he should think more carefully about his actions—especially as “many a one” on the same path “has failed” before him.

  The lady’s own loneliness late in life is a testament to the perils of a wasted youth. The lady suggests that she was never able to find meaning and connection as a younger woman, and thus is left sitting in the same spot mournfully “serving tea to friends” throughout her final days. This might be the young man’s fate too, should he disregard her warning to live more thoughtfully.

  Yet time also granted the lady the wisdom and experience that she once lacked. Through this, the lady seems to find peace and acceptance in her old age, saying in response to her past, “I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world / To be wonderful and youthful, after all.” The painful irony here is that the lady has learned to appreciate her life and see the wonder of youth only after it’s gone—and it seems she fears that the speaker will face the same fate.

  The speaker’s response to the lady’s comments confirms her fears about his immaturity. Instead of taking her advice to heart, he seems to carry on with his frivolous routines:

  • For example, immediately after her comment about youth “smil[ing] at situations which it cannot see,” the young man “smile[s], of course, and go[es] on drinking tea.” The speaker openly defies her advice, exhibiting the very youthful pride and arrogance that she warns him against.
  • During their final visit, the lady confronts his inability to form close relationships, and his immediate response is to reenter a “tobacco trance,” wasting his youth with absentmindedness. Shaken by the lady’s comments but resistant to adopting her advice, the speaker is left “not knowing what to feel” by the end of the poem.

  Without the maturity and perspective necessary to put the lady’s teachings into practice, the speaker will continue to lead a rudderless existence—only understanding the preciousness of his youth after it’s gone.

  • See where this theme is active in the poem.

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Portrait of a Lady”

• Before Line 1

       Thou hast committed —
       Fornication: but that was in another country,
       And besides, the wench is dead.
       (The Jew of Malta)

  "Portrait of a Lady" makes two allusions that set up the poem before it even begins. These allusions introduce some of the poem's key themes and motifs, such as romance, guilt, class, and death.

  The first allusion is the poem's title itself, which recalls Henry James's 1881 novel The Portrait of a Lady:

  • The plot revolves around Isabel Archer, a young and fiercely independent American woman who attempts to make her own way traveling throughout Europe.
  • Isabel is pursued by a number of eligible suitors who offer increased wealth and status, but she politely turns them down in hopes of maintaining her freedom.
  • By the time the book ends, however, Isabel has inherited a great deal of money and been deceived into marrying a man who is after her new wealth.

  Like Isabel, the speaker of Eliot's poem tries to maintain his independence by traveling and rebuffing romantic advances, but, in doing so, he gives up the opportunity for fulfilling relationships and is left only with empty relationships and social rituals. The allusion to Isabel in the poem's title thus calls attention to her similarities with the speaker—and not with the lady, as one might expect! Indeed, this "Portrait of a Lady" shapes up to really be a portrait of the speaker, and it suggests that he will share Isabel's bleak fate if he doesn't heed the lady's warnings.

  The poem itself then opens with an epigraph, which is adapted from Christopher Marlowe's play The Jew of Malta. This drama follows a Maltese Jewish Merchant named Barabas, who goes on a murder spree after having his fortunes stripped away by the local government. In this extract from Act IV, two friars confront Barabas, accusing him of murder. He responds by interrupting them and admitting to a number of lesser, unrelated crimes such as extramarital sex. The original quote thus has multiple speakers:

  Friar Barnadine: Thou has committed—

  Barabas: Fornication: but that was in another country;
  And besides, the wench is dead.

  Because the dialogue is combined in the epigraph, its speaker seems to interrupt and argue against himself. Fittingly enough, given this opening epigraph, the speaker of "Portrait of a Lady" will go on to question and contradict himself throughout the poem.

• Lines 1-7

  Among the smoke and fog of a December afternoon
  You have the scene arrange itself — as it will seem to do—
  With "I have saved this afternoon for you";
  And four wax candles in the darkened room,
  Four rings of light upon the ceiling overhead,
  An atmosphere of Juliet's tomb
  Prepared for all the things to be said, or left unsaid.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 447 words of this analysis of Lines 1-7 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 8-13

  We have been, let us say, to hear the latest Pole
  Transmit the Preludes, through his hair and finger-tips.
  "So intimate, this Chopin, that I think his soul
  Should be resurrected only among friends
  Some two or three, who will not touch the bloom
  That is rubbed and questioned in the concert room."

  

  

  

  Unlock all 466 words of this analysis of Lines 8-13 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 14-18

  —And so the conversation slips
  Among velleities and carefully caught regrets
  Through attenuated tones of violins
  Mingled with remote cornets
  And begins.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 399 words of this analysis of Lines 14-18 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 19-28

  "You do not know how much they mean to me, my friends,
  And how, how rare and strange it is, to find
  In a life composed so much, so much of odds and ends,
  (For indeed I do not love it ... you knew? you are not blind!
  How keen you are!)
  To find a friend who has these qualities,
  Who has, and gives
  Those qualities upon which friendship lives.
  How much it means that I say this to you —
  Without these friendships — life, what 
  cauchemar
  !"

  

  

  

  Unlock all 684 words of this analysis of Lines 19-28 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 29-35

  Among the winding of the violins
  And the ariettes
  Of cracked cornets
  Inside my brain a dull tom-tom begins
  Absurdly hammering a prelude of its own,
  Capricious monotone
  That is at least one definite "false note."

  

  

  

  Unlock all 369 words of this analysis of Lines 29-35 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 36-40

  — Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance,
  Admire the monuments,
  Discuss the late events,
  Correct our watches by the public clocks.
  Then sit for half an hour and drink our bocks.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 430 words of this analysis of Lines 36-40 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 41-45

  Now that lilacs are in bloom
  She has a bowl of lilacs in her room
  And twists one in her fingers while she talks.
  "Ah, my friend, you do not know, you do not know
  What life is, you who hold it in your hands";

  

  

  

  Unlock all 434 words of this analysis of Lines 41-45 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 46-51

  (Slowly twisting the lilac stalks)
  "You let it flow from you, you let it flow,
  And youth is cruel, and has no remorse
  And smiles at situations which it cannot see."
  I smile, of course,
  And go on drinking tea.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 446 words of this analysis of Lines 46-51 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 52-60

  "Yet with these April sunsets, that somehow recall
  My buried life, and Paris in the Spring,
  I feel immeasurably at peace, and find the world
  To be wonderful and youthful, after all."
  The voice returns like the insistent out-of-tune
  Of a broken violin on an August afternoon:
  "I am always sure that you understand
  My feelings, always sure that you feel,
  Sure that across the gulf you reach your hand.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 698 words of this analysis of Lines 52-60 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 61-68

  You are invulnerable, you have no Achilles' heel.
  You will go on, and when you have prevailed
  You can say: at this point many a one has failed.
  But what have I, but what have I, my friend,
  To give you, what can you receive from me?
  Only the friendship and the sympathy
  Of one about to reach her journey's end.
  I shall sit here, serving tea to friends ...."

  

  

  

  Unlock all 567 words of this analysis of Lines 61-68 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 69-76

  I take my hat: how can I make a cowardly amends
  For what she has said to me?
  You will see me any morning in the park
  Reading the comics and the sporting page.
  Particularly I remark.
  An English countess goes upon the stage.
  A Greek was murdered at a Polish dance,
  Another bank defaulter has confessed.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 385 words of this analysis of Lines 69-76 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 77-83

  I keep my countenance,
  I remain self-possessed
  Except when a street-piano, mechanical and tired
  Reiterates some worn-out common song
  With the smell of hyacinths across the garden
  Recalling things that other people have desired.
  Are these ideas right or wrong?

  

  

  

  Unlock all 303 words of this analysis of Lines 77-83 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 84-92

  The October night comes down; returning as before
  Except for a slight sensation of being ill at ease
  I mount the stairs and turn the handle of the door
  And feel as if I had mounted on my hands and knees.
  "And so you are going abroad; and when do you return?
  But that's a useless question.
  You hardly know when you are coming back,
  You will find so much to learn."
  My smile falls heavily among the bric-à-brac.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 531 words of this analysis of Lines 84-92 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 93-101

  "Perhaps you can write to me."
  My self-possession flares up for a second;
  This
   is as I had reckoned.
  "I have been wondering frequently of late
  (But our beginnings never know our ends!)
  Why we have not developed into friends."
  I feel like one who smiles, and turning shall remark
  Suddenly, his expression in a glass.
  My self-possession gutters; we are really in the dark.

  

  

  

  Unlock all 407 words of this analysis of Lines 93-101 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 102-108

  "For everybody said so, all our friends,
  They all were sure our feelings would relate
  So closely! I myself can hardly understand.
  We must leave it now to fate.
  You will write, at any rate.
  Perhaps it is not too late.
  I shall sit here, serving tea to friends."

  

  

  

  Unlock all 398 words of this analysis of Lines 102-108 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 109-113

  And I must borrow every changing shape
  To find expression ... dance, dance
  Like a dancing bear,
  Cry like a parrot, chatter like an ape.
  Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance—

  

  

  

  Unlock all 467 words of this analysis of Lines 109-113 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 114-120

  Well! and what if she should die some afternoon,
  Afternoon grey and smoky, evening yellow and rose;
  Should die and leave me sitting pen in hand
  With the smoke coming down above the housetops;
  Doubtful, for quite a while
  Not knowing what to feel or if I understand
  Or whether wise or foolish, tardy or too soon ...

  

  

  

  Unlock all 483 words of this analysis of Lines 114-120 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

• Lines 121-124

  Would she not have the advantage, after all?
  This music is successful with a "dying fall"
  Now that we talk of dying—
  And should I have the right to smile?

  

  

  

  Unlock all 394 words of this analysis of Lines 121-124 of “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the Line-by-Line Analysis for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺

“Portrait of a Lady” Symbols

• 

  Smoke and Fog

  "Portrait of a Lady" begins "[a]mong the smoke and fog of a December afternoon." Smoke and fog are common symbols of industrialization and modernization in Eliot's work, and here might be said to represent the ills of modern life—specifically the way that modern life, in his take, prevents genuine intimacy and communication.

  The poem suggests that modernization leaves people feeling alienated and emotionally detached. To that end, the speaker repeatedly hopes to escape the lady’s sentimentality by disappearing into a hazy cloud of tobacco smoke. His desire for a "tobacco trance" implies that he's more comfortable with meaningless interactions than with attempts at connection; he'd rather remain alienated than make himself emotionally vulnerable.

  However, as the poem closes, the speaker envisions the lady dying and leaving him alone on an "afternoon grey and smoky"—with only his empty routines and shallow friendships to comfort him. The smoke here reinforces the all-pervasive environment of loneliness and alienation—anxieties that "pollute" the modern world.

  • See where this symbol appears in the poem.
• 

  The Seasons, Spring, and Flowers

  As each section of the poem opens, the speaker announces the time of year during which he visits the lady, allowing the audience to track the progression of their relationship. Because they mark time’s passage, the seasons might be interpreted as symbols for the phases of life: spring represents youth, while winter signifies old age and death. It's no coincidence, then, that the speaker visits the lady for the last time in October—shortly before winter's arrival. This final meeting marks the end of their relationship, as the speaker plans on traveling and implies that the lady will die soon.

  Spring, by contrast, is a time of freshness in the poem, and the floral imagery throughout reinforces this symbolism. In the second section, for example, the lady twists fresh lilac stems while explaining the dangers of youthful ignorance, demonstrating the fragility of "new life" (represented here by those newly bloomed flowers).

  In the same conversation, the lady explains that "April sunsets" and "Paris in the Spring" fill her with comfort and hope, stirring up her "buried life" (that is, her youth, her former dreams and desires). Spring and its flowers thus also represent the sort of openness that unsettles the speaker, who is bristles at such sentimentality. The speaker even finds himself losing his composure when he smells "hyacinths across the garden"—a fact that emphasizes his extreme aversion to intimacy or emotional vulnerability.

  • See where this symbol appears in the poem.
• 

  Music

  Music appears in several forms throughout the poem, usually during the speaker’s conversations with the lady: it's either playing in the background, used to describe the lady’s voice, or comes across a figment of the speaker’s imagination. All this music can be taken as a symbol of their social interactions, or perhaps of intimacy more generally.

  At first, the speaker describes expressive classical music playing in the background of his conversations with the lady. His references to the Romantic-era virtuoso Chopin and a pianist whose tune flows "through his hair and finger-tips" play up the sentimental, intimate connotations of music.

  However, as the speaker’s conversations with the lady go on—the lady revealing more personal information and discussing romantic subjects such as youth and relationships—the speaker starts to hear a "dull” and "out-of-tune" song pounding in his head. This mixes with the sound of "cracked coronets" (essentially, broken trumpets), suggesting a painful cacophony in the speaker's mind. He even compares the lady's voice to the sound of an "insistent out-of-tune / [...] broken violin" The speaker also feels tormented by the popular music played by a street-piano. The speaker's aversion to all this music reflects his aversion to romance and intimacy.

  • See where this symbol appears in the poem.

“Portrait of a Lady” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• Alliteration

  On the most basic level, alliteration adds sonic interest and music to the poem (we've highlighted some specific examples of alliteration here). It often mirrors the literal music that the speaker hears, in fact, and in doing so makes the poem all the more immediate and vivid for readers. Take, for example, the “cracked cornets” from line 31, the sharp alliteration of which reinforces the idea that a song “hammers” in the speaker’s head.

  As with other forms of repetition, the reappearance of many similar sounds also makes the speaker and the lady’s interactions seem all the more predictable. Hearing the same sounds over and over again evokes the repetitive nature of their lives. In fact, alliteration actually appears within the two lines that the poem repeats directly, which describe each character’s typical routines:

  Let us take the air, in a tobacco trance
  I shall sit here, serving tea to friends

  Alliteration also just makes phrases like this more memorable, making them linger in the reader's mind. Consonance enhances the effect; note how sharp /k/ sounds echo in "take"/"tobacco," and how the /s/ sound of "trance" continues into the next line with "sit"/"serving."

  Finally, alliteration can place additional emphasis on certain words and phrases. Take the lady's dialogue in line 19:

  "You do not know, you do not know / How much they mean to me, my friends,

  The clear alliteration here evokes the lady's sheer insistence on her point (that is, that friendship is deeply important to her).

  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Allusion

  

  

  

  Unlock all 539 words of this analysis of Allusion in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Anaphora

  

  

  

  Unlock all 321 words of this analysis of Anaphora in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Assonance

  

  

  

  Unlock all 235 words of this analysis of Assonance in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Consonance

  

  

  

  Unlock all 243 words of this analysis of Consonance in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  Unlock all 250 words of this analysis of Enjambment in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Imagery

  

  

  

  Unlock all 249 words of this analysis of Imagery in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Juxtaposition

  

  

  

  Unlock all 282 words of this analysis of Juxtaposition in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Irony

  

  

  

  Unlock all 588 words of this analysis of Irony in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Metaphor

  

  

  

  Unlock all 253 words of this analysis of Metaphor in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Repetition

  

  

  

  Unlock all 689 words of this analysis of Repetition in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Rhetorical Question

  

  

  

  Unlock all 265 words of this analysis of Rhetorical Question in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Simile

  

  

  

  Unlock all 302 words of this analysis of Simile in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

• Stream of Consciousness

  

  

  

  Unlock all 295 words of this analysis of Stream of Consciousness in “Portrait of a Lady,” and get the poetic device analyses for every poem we cover.

  Plus so much more...

  Get LitCharts A⁺

  Already a LitCharts A⁺ member?Sign in!

  

  

  Unlock with LitCharts A⁺
  • See where this poetic device appears in the poem.

“Portrait of a Lady” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Fornication
• Wench
• The Jew of Malta
• Juliet's Tomb
• Chopin
• Prelude
• Resurrected
• Velleities
• Attenuated
• Remote
• Cornet
• Keen
• Cauchemar
• Ariette
• Tom-tom
• Capricious
• Monotone
• "False Note"
• Bock
• Buried Life
• Gulf
• Invulnerable
• Achilles' Heel
• Make A Cowardly Amends
• Countess
• Bank Defaulter
• Keep My Countenance
• Self-Possessed
• Hyacinth
• Mount
• Bric-à-brac
• Reckoned
• Gutter
• Tardy
• "Dying fall"

• Extramarital sex.

  • See where this vocabulary word appears in the poem.

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Portrait of a Lady”

• Form

  "Portrait of a Lady" is written in a stream of consciousness style, meaning that the language mimics the organic flow of the speaker's thoughts. This technique gives readers access to the speaker's mind in real-time. And as would make sense for such a loosely flowing poem, "Portrait of a Lady" is written in free verse. It does use rhyme and meter from time to time, but it never sticks to a particular meter or rhyme scheme for long. Instead, the poem's long, sprawling stanzas and uneven line lengths evoke the speaker's meandering thoughts.

  That said, the poem is arranged into three parts of similar lengths, each of which represents one of the speaker's visits to the lady's home over the course of a year. These parts correspond with the changing seasons:

  • Part I takes place during a visit in winter;
  • Part 2 takes place in the spring;
  • Part 3 takes place in autumn.

  Each part also follows the same narrative structure:

  • The speaker has a conversation with the lady;
  • The conversation becomes more and more personal;
  • The speaker leaves feeling irked and unsure of himself.

  These parallel narratives reinforce the repetitiveness of these meetings. And, as a result, any breaks from this narrative structure draw attention. In particular, throughout the third and final section, the speaker seems uncomfortable and struggles to maintain his composure throughout the entire interaction (presumably because his "self-possession" has already degraded beyond repair, and he feels guilty about how he's treated the lady by this point in their relationship).

• Meter

  While this poem does not follow a strict meter and is probably best deemed free verse, it is mostly made up of iambs (poetic feet with an unstressed syllable followed by a stressed syllable, da-DUM). The actual number of syllables per line varies greatly, but this general iambic rhythm stays the same regardless. For example, here's a look at the meter in lines 29-31:

  Among the winding of the violins
  And the ariettes
  Of cracked cornets

  As readers can see here, even these lines aren't entirely iambic ("And the ar-" is a foot called an anapest, da-da-DUM), but, in general, there's a bouncy, rising rhythm, with unstressed beats being followed up by stressed beats throughout the poem. This makes the poem feel generally rhythmic and perhaps even a bit monotonous or stilted. In this way, the iambic rhythm subtly reflects the calculated, formal nature of the speaker and the lady's interactions.

  At the same, there's nothing overly strict about this iambic meter. Lines switch things up all the time, which is in keeping with the poem's broader stream of consciousness style, and which keeps the poem feeling immediate and conversational.

• Rhyme Scheme

  This poem uses plenty of rhyme, but it doesn't follow a particular rhyme scheme. Most lines, in fact, rhyme will with another at some point in the poem, but there's no clear pattern to this. Some rhymes appear very close together, as in lines 12-13:

  Some two or three, who will not touch the bloom
  That is rubbed and questioned in the concert room."

  Other rhymes are so far apart that readers might miss them, as in lines 23 and 28:

  How keen you are!)
  [...]
  Without these friendships — life, what cauchemar!"

  The poem is thus musical but still conversational; its rhyme aren't overly obvious or formulaic.

  Occasionally, the appearance of several rhymes in rapid succession suggests a state of emotional frenzy. For instance, in lines 105-107, the lady assures the speaker that she can accept the fact that they haven't become friends even as her rapid, frantic statements suggest she's not all that happy about this turn of events:

  We must leave it now to fate.
  You will write, at any rate.
  Perhaps it is not too late.

  On the other hand, lines without a rhyming pair at all in the poem create a sense of discomfort—almost as if a word is out of place or going unacknowledged. Unrhymed lines tend to reinforce the suggestion that something is "off," such as when the speaker notices a "false note" in line 35, or imagines being surprised by "his expression in a glass" in line 100.

“Portrait of a Lady” Speaker

• The speaker of "Portrait of a Lady" is a young man who pays frequent visits to an older woman who clearly wants to form a more intimate relationship with him. Despite the lady's attempts to grow closer, though, the speaker comes across as somewhat callous or—at the very least—unsure about the idea of forming a tight bond with her. Seeing these visits as little more than dreadful social obligations, the speaker makes every attempt to maintain a sense of emotional distance. Part of this means politely keeping his true feelings hidden, smiling regardless of his irritation or discomfort.

  Since the lady and the speaker are engaged in a cat-and-mouse courtship governed by social conventions, it's reasonable to assume that the speaker is a man. Based on the lady’s comments, readers also understand that he's a young man, or at least notably younger than her. And given that he travels abroad, it's evident that he's an upper-class man—a member of "polite society."

  The speaker is often thought to be an alter ego of Eliot himself, who moved in similar social circles and encountered many figures like both the lady and the speaker. Eliot also traveled abroad and corresponded at length with a woman named Emily Hale, who expected him to marry her (though he never did). Many scholars believe this poem is inspired by their relationship, which was known to be highly formal and polite.

“Portrait of a Lady” Setting

• The poem seems to take place at some point in the 19th or 20th century, when it would have been especially common for people to attend concerts to hear Frédéric Chopin's "Preludes." And though references to smog imply that "Portrait of a Lady" is set in a city, the majority of the poem's events take place in the lady's home, presumably in a drawing room or another intimate space for entertaining guests. This home is full of "bric-à-brac" (random, meaningless items of little worth), but she tries to set a romantic mood with music, candles, and flowers.

  Tired of the lady's sentimentality and attempts at intimacy, the speaker seems to prefer spending time in public spaces like a park or garden. The lady's home, then, perhaps represents a kind of intimacy the speaker is hesitant to embrace, whereas public spaces represent a sense of emotional distance—something the speaker is more comfortable with.

  However, the city doesn't actually seem to satisfy the speaker all that much, since his activities—like reading the newspaper in the park and listening to people play the same old songs on a nearby piano—are empty and repetitive. Both of the poem's main settings (the lady's home and the surrounding city) are therefore characterized by oppressive boredom and anxiety, reflecting the universal horror of the modern world.

Literary and Historical Context of “Portrait of a Lady”

Literary Context

T. S. Eliot wrote "Portrait of a Lady" while studying abroad in Paris from 1910 to 1911. This was a productive time for the young poet—a period during which he also wrote "Preludes," "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," and other key early works. In fact, these poems appear together in his 1917 collection Prufrock and Other Observations.

In the book, "Portrait of a Lady" appears directly after "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" and is often discussed as its companion piece, since both satirize modern society through a stream-of-consciousness portrayal of failed romance. However, the gender dynamics are reversed; in "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock," the speaker (Prufrock) is a lonely older man who struggles to express his feelings and forge the intimate relationships he craves. Prufrock himself could thus be seen as an older version of the speaker in "Portrait of a Lady"—especially if that speaker ends up disregarding the lady's warnings and continues to lead a rudderless, emotionally detached life.

Before setting off for Paris, Eliot came across the works of the French Symbolists and was taken by the work of Jules Laforgue and Charles Baudelaire. He admired their vivid, symbolic images, which viscerally conveyed emotion while still leaving room for analysis. As Eliot turned towards Symbolism, he also turned away from the expressive ideals of Romanticism. This shift helped usher in Modernism, the largest and most influential artistic movement of the 20th century.

"Portrait of a Lady" contains quintessential elements of modernist literature, which often uses free verse, a detached speaker, and multiple cultural references. Eliot frequently alluded to great literary works of the past, borrowing images, phrases, and ideas. This called attention to obscure or largely forgotten works—like, for example, the Marlowe epigraph at the beginning of "Portrait of a Lady."

Historical Context

Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1888, Eliot grew up during the Second Industrial Revolution and saw the rapid development of the midwestern United States. He also witnessed the resulting environmental devastation and the atmosphere of anxiety that came with such sudden mechanized change.

The late 1800s are now known as the “Gilded Age”—a time of excess and consumption for the rich, who became richer as the poor grew poorer. Eliot himself was a member of a well-to-do family with a prestigious reputation, and he traveled in Europe in the early 1900s, experiencing great leisure even in a time of growing economic inequality. These travels exposed him to the art and culture of international cities, but he also absorbed the urban landscapes, perhaps noticing the poverty present in even the most opulent cities. In other words, Eliot always saw—and portrayed—both sides of city life.

Given the status of Eliot’s family, he was intimately familiar with the restrictive norms and social practices of the upper class. For example, women were expected not to be too "forward" about their desires, and romantic advancements were supposed to be declined delicately—a convention that Eliot spotlights in "Portrait of a Lady."

Many scholars have concluded that the events of this poem are based on Eliot’s real-life relationship with a woman named Emily Hale. There was not a pronounced age gap between the two (Eliot was older by a few years), but Eliot and Hale had an extremely drawn-out courtship that included over 1,000 letters. Hale expected Eliot to marry her, but he never did.

More “Portrait of a Lady” Resources

• External Resources

  • T. S. Eliot Reads "Portrait of a Lady" — Listen to the author read the poem aloud.

  • First Edition — Look through digital scans of a first edition copy of "Prufrock and Other Observations," the 1917 collection in which this poem appears.

  • The Poet's Failed Romance — Learn more about Eliot’s recently unveiled correspondences with Emily Hale, which he did not want to become public. 

  • Biography of the Poet — Browse this thorough profile of Eliot, which details his personal life, poetic output, and other cultural contributions.

  • The Turn of the 20th Century — Take a look at this snapshot of American life during the early 20th century.

  • An Introduction to Modernism — Read an overview of Modernism, the artistic movement that Eliot helped advance.

  • The Art of Poetry Interview — A conversation with the poet from 1959, launching the popular and long-running "Art of Poetry" interview series from literary magazine The Paris Review.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by T. S. Eliot

  • Four Quartets: Burnt Norton

  • Journey of the Magi

  • La Figlia Che Piange

  • Morning at the Window

  • Preludes

  • Rhapsody on a Windy Night

  • The Hollow Men

  • The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

  • The Waste Land