Smile (Symbol)
In the opening lines, the speaker describes the woman's faded smile. In light of the images that come later in the poem, her diminished smile comes to symbolize the slow ruin of her happiness. As suggested by the use of the words "sweet" and "enchanting," her smile is characterized as something that was once both beautiful and full of life but has since been "worn away." This symbol serves an essential function in the poem, as it immediately makes it clear to the reader that this woman has lost the important things in her life.
Beauty (Motif)
One of the poem's recurring motifs is beauty. The speaker repeatedly references how beautiful the woman used to be and then contrasts this with her current, diminished state. She even says that the remnants of the woman's beauty give a distinct impression of how she used to look, and what she has lost. What Brontë seems to be saying is that no beauty is safe from the gradual erosion of time and emotional neglect. By highlighting this degradation of the speaker's appearance, she underscores this idea.
Hand (Symbol)
In the final stanza of the poem, the speaker depicts the woman quickly and excitedly writing a letter to her beloved. The speaker describes her hand as both "fair" and "fine." The image of her happiness and beauty further highlights how she once appeared and used to feel. Her hand symbolizes her past innocence and appearance.
