The shadow (Symbol)
One way in which Bishop contrasts the Man with the Man-Moth is through the size of each being's shadow. Man's shadow is small (no bigger, Bishop writes, than his hat) and resembles a circle for a doll to stand on. Overall, man is a contained, stiff physical presence. The Man-Moth's shadow, by contrast, drags behind him as he climbs buildings, resembling a photographer's cloth. Man's shadow is neat and simple, while the Man-Moth's is unwieldy and complex. Bishop's metaphors intensify this contrast. Man's shadow looks like a tool used to display a lifeless but decorative doll, while the Man-Moth's looks like a tool used by a photographer—in other words, a tool used in the pursuit of art. Generally, then, these shadows symbolize the contrasts between the Man and the Man-Moth, and specifically the Man-Moth's own complicated vulnerability beside Man's desensitized inertness.
The Tear (Symbol)
The tear is the Man-Moth's sole possession. The poem compares it to a bee sting—an object that causes pain and that kills the bee when given away—suggesting that the tear is a product of the Man-Moth's pain. Still, the tear is the Man-Moth's sole tool for escaping his own alienated, uncertain reality to connect with other people. Bishop compares the tear to an underground spring, an image that contrasts with the claustrophobic urban space where the poem as a whole takes place. The tear symbolizes vulnerability and connection. It is at once an admission of the Man-Moth's internal pain, a gift, a source of relief, and an artistic product.
