The brain
The poem "The Best of the Body" ends with the description of the heart as being more powerful when compared with the brain. The heart is the place where emotions are born and where they flourish. While the heart is the symbol used to represent feelings, the brain is a symbol used to represent the complete opposite, namely the logical side of a person.
The cane growing roots
Canes were used as a way to punish slaves during the time when slavery was still legal in America. Even though slavery was no longer legal by the time the narrator wrote "Botanical Fanaticism", a cane is still present in the poem, described as a permanent fixture in the narrator's mother's bedroom. While the narrator was never punished with the cane, the object became a symbol which reminded everyone of the way in which African Americans were treated during slavery and of the abuse they still had to deal with everyday.
Whiteness
In "Lessons from a Mirror", the narrator compares herself with a character from a well known fairy tale, Snow White. The narrator expresses her anger when it comes to Show White because while she is portrayed as being pure and good, the narrator, because she will never be white, represents the complete opposite. Whites thus becomes used here as a symbol, representing the way in which African Americans felt inferior because of their skin color and because they were always seen as never having a place in the world.
Blue
The poem "The Continent of Reena and Marcus' Marriage" ends with the narrator describing the major character turning blue after giving birth and the whole world turning to ice. The narrator uses in this context the color blue as a symbol, linking it with the idea of sadness and despair. Because of this, we can argue blue is used here as a symbol for death and the pain it causes as a result.
The name
In "The Culture of Near Miss" the narrator mentions the name of a man with whom he was once in a relationship. Unfortunately, the relationship did not end well for the narrator but she continued to think about her former lover, hoping he will never forget her name. The name is used in this context as a symbol for the memory of a person which one remains even after a person is gone.
