Horse (Symbol)
At the beginning of the poem, the woman is compared to a running horse that the speaker is attempting to tame. This image deftly encapsulates so much about the woman and the relationship she is in. The parallel suggests that the woman is free-spirited and strong. It also demonstrates how the man is holding her back, as he tries to stifle her "wilder" qualities. The symbol of a horse is used to represent a woman who is alive and active, in contrast to the soft and passive person her partner wishes she was. It is important to note that the horse is running, as it immediately conveys the sense that the woman is only slowed down by the man.
Homes (Symbol)
The speaker of the poem warns the woman that she can't make homes out of human beings. What she means is that the woman must first be able to love herself before finding love from someone else. The image of making a "home" out of someone refers to using that person as shelter. In the context of the poem, homes symbolize the attempt to rely on someone else's love before finding it for yourself. The speaker criticizes this action because she knows, for the woman, this has only led to heartache. The man's love for her is selfish and misshapen, as he cannot appreciate her as she is. For this reason, the speaker tells her that she must know that she can't make him into a "home," as his love is not safe or stable.
