Belinda's Hair

The hair symbolizes both vanity and chastity. At certain moments in the poem, Belinda's obsession with her hair seems like the foolish preoccupation of a young woman who is rather silly and unserious. However, at other times, it represents her virtue. In that sense, the hair could also be said to represent the experience of womanhood more generally.

The Lap-Dog

Lap-dogs symbolize frivolity. There are multiple mentions of lap-dogs in the poem. In Pope's era, small dogs were a standard symbol in both literary and visual art. They were associated with femininity, as they are here.

The Glass

In the eighteenth century, glass was another term for a mirror. In this poem, the mirror represents vanity. It is a symbol of how obsessed Belinda is with her own beauty.

The Sun

The sun symbolizes new beginnings. It appears several times in the poem, each time...