The speaker addresses a woman whose physical beauty is full of contradiction. Her sloping shoulders call to mind Chinese pagodas, elegant and curved, but they sit against a Western face where innocence and seduction are locked in a false embrace. That clash is the point: she is not fully one thing or another. The speaker says that for her, life is a liquid mirror. She is not really living it so much as searching it for her own image. She stands with a delicate, endless amazement, waiting for a reflection to settle, but it never does. The tone is cool and quiet, not angry—more like someone observing a flaw with pity. The mood is brittle and wistful, with a touch of exotic imagery that makes her seem beautiful but unreachable, and perhaps a little hollow at the center.
Advice to a Woman — Summary
The sloping lines of your shoulders Speak of Chinese pagodas. They clash with your western face Where child and courtesan Clasp each other in a feigned embrace. Life, to you, is a liquid mirror. You stand with delicate, perpetual amazement, Vainly seeking your reflection.