The hyacinth girl is one of the many
compelling images in
The Waste Land. It's an interesting
juxtaposition, in that the
hyacinth is typically a symbol of
manhood, on account of the
mythological origins of the hyacinth. But the question really is:
who is the hyacinth girl? I've not been able to find the answer to that one yet. I know who
my personal hyacinth girl is. I don't know who was the hyacinth girl to
T. S. Eliot.
IMHO, the hyacinth girl is a symbol of forlornness - note that everything about her is in the past tense: "people called me the hyacinth girl." She represents the painful memories of a past that would better be forgotten. Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.