Daybreak (Symbol)
Daybreak is a symbol for a change in history and a major change in society, similar to the term “a new dawn.” The speaker in this poem wants to capture the natural beauty of daybreak in Alabama, but also the social beauty of a world at peace in the future.
Red (Motif)
Color is used throughout the poem to draw parallels between the colors in nature and the skin colors of people. Among these, red is especially notable, because at the beginning of the poem the speaker mentions “red clay after rain” in his music, and at the end of the poem “red clay earth hands” that connect through song (lines 9 and 17). Red is a vivid color that often symbolizes passion and emotion and that is found in nature as well as being a skin color (i.e. among Native Americans).
Dew (Motif)
Dew is mentioned twice in the poem to describe the nature of the song that the composer wants to create (“like soft dew”) and to describe the unity between different people in society (“natural as dew”). The presence of dew symbolizes peaceful coexistence in nature and humanity.
