Theory

Theory - meaning Summary

Self Defined by Surroundings

The poem argues that identity is made by surroundings and roles rather than isolated essence. The speaker claims "I am what is around me" and suggests women, in particular, are defined by social context and material markers—carriages, vestibules, curtained beds—so that titles like "duchess" lose meaning detached from setting. The closing line frames the images as portraits, examples of how external circumstances instantiate identity.