The Black Tower
In the poem with the name "The Black Tower", the major symbol is the tower mentioned in the title of the poem. The tower is described as being an imposing building, visible from a great distance by everyone and thus, impossible to ignore. The character in the poem uses the tower as a landmark when navigating their life while simultaneously getting closer and closer to the tower as time passes by. The tower in this context is used as a symbol for the impossibility of escaping death, a truth which every person has to deal with at some point or another in their lives.
The need to be loved
In the poem "In Tara's Hall", the narrator uses one motif from the beginning of the poem until the end, the motif being the association between the need to feel loved and the end of someone's life. The need to be loved is seen as the sign which signals the approach of one's life. This common motif is used in the poem to present, what is seen in the narrator's view, as one of the great tragedies of life.
Immortality
In "Under Ben Bulben", the narrator describes various elements which, in his opinion, are immortal. One common characteristic every immortal element has in an innate paleness which sets them apart from the rest of the living things. The association between paleness and immortality is used in this poem as a common motif and is present from the first lined of the poem until the end.
Symbol for safety
In "News for the Delphic Oracle" the main character is a dolphin which lives near the area where the future is predicted by those taking care of the oracle of Delphi. The life of the dolphin has been often at risk, but it manages to find shelter in a nearby bay. The bay is used in this poem as a symbol for the feeling of safety one person experiences when being in the presence of something familiar or in the area of something which they know well.
The setting sun
One of the main symbols in "Chuchulain Comforted" is the setting sun, described in the beginning of the poem and at the end. The position of the sun is linked in the poem with Chuchulain's life and his peak is associated with the time in which the main character experienced glory and fame. The setting sun on the other hand is used by the narrator as a symbol which represents the main character's death.
