Sardines
In the poem ‘’Why I am not a painter?’’ the narrator talks about the difference in perspective between a painter and a poet and how the two are sometimes unable to fully understand one another. The narrator uses sardines as a symbol for this difference in perspective. The painter in the poem choses to paint sardines, deciding that it is a subject worth painting like any other. The poet does not understand why the painter would choose this and describes various other subjects he would chose. Thus, the sardines are used here as a symbol for the way in which the painter and the poet see value in different subjects.
Vines
In the poem entitled ‘’Augusts’’, the narrator describes how a young king took over a castle and slowly spread his vines all over it. The vines soon spread to every corner of the castle as Augusts gained more and more power. The vines are used here as a symbol, to suggest the power Augusts had and also to suggest the way in which his power spread in time. Just like the vine, Augustus’s power became unstoppable and more present as time passed.
The song of the old cow
In the poem entitled ‘’Homosexuality’’, the narrator talks about the ‘’song of an old cow’’ which starts after the masks are taken off by the men in the first stanza. The song is described as being judgmental and the fact that it comes from old cows is also denigrator. The song is used here as a symbol, to suggest the old views and judgments the old society has against various practices which are now considered as being normal and easy to understand.
The river
In the poem ‘’The Room’’ the narrator describes how he threw himself into a river even though it was extremely cold and he knew he was going to get wet and his clothes and personal belongings be damaged. Despite this, the narrator writes about the happiness he experienced upon entering the water and how he never felt like that until that day. The river may be used here as a symbol for the narrator’s desires. The narrator knows that he will not get out undamaged and still choses to throw himself into the river just to experience pleasure.
The unicorn
The unicorn is the main symbol used in the poem entitled ‘’Unicorn’’. In this poem, the narrator describes how he fled to the forest to escape the donkeys following him. In the forest, he is meet by a unicorn who helps him settle down and fall into a peaceful sleep. Thus, the unicorn is used here as a symbol for serenity.
