Summary

The poem begins with a description of Corinna as the stock figure of a "nymph," a beautiful woman admired by all. However, it soon upturns the imagery of the pastoral, saying that "no shepherd" ever "sighed in vain," for her, meaning either that no one is romantically interested in her, or that she gives in readily to her suitors (2). The narrator describes her returning to her rooms at midnight, climbing up three flights of stairs, and beginning to prepare for bed.

She removes a number of cosmetic items. First, she takes off a wig, and then she removes a glass eye. Her eyebrows are fake too, made out of "mouse's hide" (13). Corinna takes particular care in removing these and setting them aside for future use. She takes out her "plumpers," objects used to fill the cheeks so they will not look hollow from malnutrition...