These lines reveal that Porphyria left a “gay feast” just to come through the storm to see him. This gives some insight into what her “vainer ties” might be. While the speaker is alone in a small cottage that seemed barely able to withstand the rain and wind, Porphyria had just come from a fancy party. This suggests that she is rich and he is poor. This is perhaps the reason that society is against their love. The reader can speculate that the reason she “murmured” her love for him is because she is of a higher socio-economic class, and her love for him would be scorned by society. This is why the speaker claims that she would not be willing to give up her pride or her “vainer ties” in order to really be his forever. Nonetheless, in this particular moment, she seems to be all his. She left a fancy party because she couldn’t stand the thought of his being alone and sick with love for her. The speaker claims that this love he has for her is “all in vain”. Porphyria’s actions on this night do not suggest that their love is in vain. But the speaker has made it clear to the reader that he has no confidence in the strength of her love when put up against societal norms.