Nature (Motif)
Most of this poem revolves around a single extended metaphor, in which the speaker's thoughts are represented by vines and her lover is represented by a tree. This means that a motif of nature, and specifically a forest motif, runs throughout the work. The choice to represent the two characters as part of a natural ecosystem offers a revealing glimpse at how the speaker perceives her own relationship: passionate, unconstrained by social norms, and harmonious. Moreover, the poem's final description, in which the speaker imagines herself breathing freely in nature, suggests that both the natural world and her relationship are places of freedom and relief.
Space and air (Motif)
This poem juxtaposes two different situations: one in which the speaker becomes close to her lover through imagination, and one in which they become close through literal proximity. The first of these is associated with immobility and smothering. The speaker imagines her thoughts as vines trapping the lover and creating restrictions. The second situation is associated with breath, air, and freedom: the speaker imagines the lover shaking themself free and imagines herself breathing deeply in his company. These images counter our expectations, since fantasy tends to be associated with freedom in literature. Here, intimacy and company expand individual freedom rather than restrict it.
