The rattlesnake
The rattlesnake is an important symbol in the poem Motherhood. The snake hides inside Peggy’s room and she can’t sleep knowing that the snake is inside her room. She eventually kills the snake but only to realize that the snake is part of her. The snake is used here as a symbol for Peggy’s desires that are perceived as being immoral and her desires that her parents would have wanted her to eliminate completely.
The animals in the yard
Peggy mentions how she feels alone and how she feels frustrated because the animals in the yard can’t help her get rid of the snake. The yard animals are used here as a symbol to make reference to Peggy’s family and possibly her friends and those close to her.
The ice cream
In the poem Disregard, the narrator talks about the ice cream she carries with her and how at the end of the day the ice cream is completely melting to the point of boiling. In this context, the ice cream is used as a symbol to make reference to the relationship the narrator had with her partner and how in time it melted to the point where it became unbearable.
Lightning
In the poem Woman to Man, the main symbol used in the poem is the lightning that affects the house and the man and woman inside it. The lightning is used here as a symbol to make reference to the guilty feelings both the man and the woman has because of their relationship.
Symbol for power
In the poem entitled Riot Act, the characters talk about money and how it is necessary for them to have money. The money are used here as a symbol for power and to suggest that those who had power also had money most of the times.
