How we cite our quotes: (Canto.Line)
Quote #1
Oh say what stranger Cause, yet unexplor'd,
Cou'd make a gentle Belle reject a Lord?
In Tasks so bold, can Little Men engage,
and in soft Bosoms dwells such Mighty Rage? (I.9–12)
Back to this quote from the poem's beginning again, but it's such a good one. Notice how the speaker grants to women "Mighty Rage"—more than a match for "Little Men," we think.
Quote #2
First, rob'd in White, the Nymph intent adores
With Head uncover'd, the cosmetic Pow'rs.
A heav'nly Image in the Glass appears,
To that she bends, to that her Eyes she rears; (I.123–126)
Belinda's getting ready for the party, putting on makeup and doing her hair. Think of it as a spin on the old "mirror mirror on the wall" scene from fairy tales. Belinda quite obviously worships her own face. What old-fashioned thinker said "Vanity, thy name is woman"? (Probably a man.)
Quote #3
Her lively Looks a sprightly Mind disclose,
Quick as her Eyes, and as unfix'd as those:
Favours to none, to all she Smiles extends,
Oft she rejects, but never once offends. (II.9–12)
This quote falls at the beginning of Canto II, when Belinda's on her way to the party, in a fantastic mood—nice to everything and everyone. Okay, so Belinda's not very capable of focusing. On anything or any one. But hey, at least she doesn't piss anyone off.
Quote #4
If to her share some Female Errors fall,
Look on her Face, and you'll forget 'em all. (II.17–18)
Back to Belinda's superficial niceness on the boat again. Really? If you're a pretty woman you can get away with anything? And all of those things our mothers used to tell us, about it being the inside that counts instead of the outside—not true?
Quote #5
Hail wayward Queen!
Who rule the Sex to Fifty from Fifteen,
Parent of Vapors and of Female Wit,
Who give th' Hysteric or Poetic Fit, (IV.57–60)
Umbriel the Gnome is here addressing the Queen of Spleen, who's lying on her bed in a dark room feeling sorry for herself. He's complimenting her on how well she inflicts other women with spleen issues, like fainting, or writing bad poetry. Yup. Spleen. The women's disease. And what's this about hysteria and poetry being roughly equivalent?
Quote #6
But since, alas! frail Beauty must decay,
Curl'd or uncurl'd, since Locks will turn to grey,
Since paint'd, or not paint'd, all shall fade,
And she who scorns a Man, must die a Maid;
What then remains, but well our Pow'r to use,
And keep good Humour still whate'er we lose? (V.25–30)
We're at the moral of Clarissa's speech in Canto V, where she tells Belinda to stop sniveling about her lost lock of hair, suck it up, and deal with the humiliation by smiling about it. Eventually that pretty curly lock of hair would have gone gray anyway, right? This seems like good advice. But it also seems like a cop-out. We're still undecided as to which. And remember, this was the age before plastic surgery …