Vanity

Vanity is a word which, in modern as in early modern English, conveys several meanings. It is often associated with women in particular. Most often, it is used to describe a narcissistic admiration of oneself, particularly based on one’s physical appearance.

The other usage of the word “vain” survives today mostly in the expression “in vain” (5). To do something “in vain,” now as in the time the poem was written, signifies that it is being done without any hope of success – that the effort expended towards a particular goal will ultimately be fruitless. This is actually tied quite closely to the former word usage. Someone who is obsessed with their own appearance is thought to be doing something that is trivial and therefore pointless.

Both uses appear in this poem, even within the same line. The beloved accuses the speaker both of being vain and...