The rose garden
The rose garden appears in the poem "Burnt Norton’’ and it appears towards the beginning of the poem. The narrator describe the rose garden as being the place everyone wants to arrive but few do because they do not know which path to take. Because of this, the rose garden is used here as a symbol for the ultimate goal every person has.
The clouds
Another element mentioned frequently in the poem "Burnt Norton’’ are the dark clouds hiding the sun. The clouds are described in a negative way and are affecting the natural world, the men and women living in this society as well as the vegetation. The clouds are used here as a metaphor for hardships humanity may encounter in their lives. These hardships may affect us to such a level everything around us changes drastically.
The wind
The wind is another symbol used in the poem "Burnt Norton’’. The wind appears in the third part of the poem when the narrator talks about how men are blown away like pieces of paper. The wind is used in this context as a symbol for the idea promoted in the world, ideas that can sweep a person off his feet and influence his or hers decisions.
The field
The field appears in the first part of the poem "East Coker’’ and is the place where a wedding and a dace take place around a fire. The events are described in great detail and the idea transmitted is that the events happening there are natural and normal. Thus, because of this, we can assume the field is used here as a symbol for nature and for returning to the old ideas and principles.
Everything that happens during the night
A common motif that appears in most of the poems is the idea that every important action takes place during the night. Weddings, deaths and other important events are described as happening during nighttime while daytime is a time when everyone is at a standstill and nothing of importance takes place.
