Globed Fruit (symbol)
MacLeish uses the simile “globed fruit” to express his feeling that a poem should be tangible and concrete, but not make any noise. A poem that is “mute” is presumably one that deals in sensation as opposed to words or rhetoric. His use of the adjective “globed” may insinuate that the poem should be like a globe, in that it is worldly and full of significance, but does not make demands or catalyze an agenda. A rounded object is also well-balanced and does not draw attention to any one part. A fruit can be enjoyed and consumed without one having to think about the fruit or find meaning in this act. The experience is sensory, personal and rich, much like the experience MacLeish believes a good poem should elicit.
Old medallions (symbol)
MacLeish includes the image of “old medallions” that are “dumb...to the thumb” as another object that a poem should emulate. Perhaps he means that like old medallions held in the hand have weight, they are still just another object to fiddle with. They are not objects of conscious attention or scrutiny, and the thumb moving over the medallion may not really know what the contours of its surface actually mean. Even more basic is the fact that medallions are dumb; they do not speak. Therefore, like these medallions, a poem functions unassumingly and without any cause or commentary.
The flight of birds (symbol)
MacLeish advocates for poetry that is "wordless" like flying birds. This simile cannot be taken literally, as poems always contain words. However, perhaps MacLeish longs for poetry that is without self-consciousness, agendas or effortful verbal constructions that bring attention to the poem's reality as a cluster of words. Instead, MacLeish desires that a poem soar free in the reader's mind, like a bird; natural, sensory and all-encompassing.
The Moon (symbol)
The moon is perhaps the most complex symbol in the poem. The moon is both mobile and constant, revealing and concealing, enlightening and elusive. MacLeish feels that a poem should be “motionless in time,” like the moon’s steady presence, but also capable of fading or receding into the recesses of the mind and culture, like memories. The moon, like a good poem, feels natural to everyone, and yet magical. Even further, MacLeish seems to believe a poem should—in the same way the moon lightens branches at night, but also darkens the leaves when viewed behind them—enter awareness while skirting oblivion. One could even view this concept in a psychoanalytic sense, and argue that MacLeish hopes the poem will probe both conscious impressions as well as revealing the dark, unconscious realm. MacLeish’s inclusion of the same stanza again, “A poem should motionless in time / As the moon climbs,” re-emphasizes this anomaly of stillness and mobility, enlightenment and occlusion. The repetition also creates a kind of hypnotic lull that may enact the “dumb” poetic engagement MacLeish is referring to. This repetition could also emulate how a good poem will always re-emerge, like the moon moving through its cycles.
Casement ledges (symbol)
MacLeish calls for poems to be as "silent" as casement ledges that are worn down and covered in moss. Once again, MacLeish hopes that a poem will not make noise, but will instead evoke feelings, images and sensations, engaging the reader without pontificating. It is worth noting that window ledges are a "sleeve-worn" place where people rest their elbows and look out at the world. Old window ledges that are covered in moss have stood the test of time, but also evolved with the movement of their surroundings. They have become one with the environment. Perhaps MacLeish believes a good poem should contain all of these qualities of moss-covered casement ledges, including their effortless beauty.
