Into the night
In the poem "OFFERINGS’’, the narrator mentions how the unfulfilled promises which disintegrate in the hands of the normal people transform into smoke which then disappear into the night. The place where these promises disappear is a symbolic one and it represents the general indifference with which a person may treat unfulfilled promises.
The wall
In the poem entitled "WHERE THERE’S A WALL’’ the narrator mentions the existence of a wall which might stop a person from advancing in life. The wall is used in this poem to symbolize the possible hardships a person may encounter in their life while also providing hope that there is always a way for someone to get over the problem in question.
The ladder
In the same poem mentioned above, "WHERE THERE’S A WALL’’ the narrator tries to assure the readers that even though many may encounter at some points in their life a high wall, there is always the possibility of getting over it using a ladder. The wall is used as a symbol for the possible problems a person may encounter and thus the ladder is used to symbolize the possible ways a person could have to get over their problems.
The glass
The most important symbol in the poem "IF YOUR MIRROR BREAKS’’ is the glass which results from the breaking of the mirror. As it is explained in the poem, the shards of glass have the power to hurt the person who was holding the mirror. Thus, the glass is used here as a symbol to suggest all the possible ways a person could get hurt by another person or by some event.
The highway
The last situation presented in the poem "IF YOUR MIRROR BREAKS’’ takes place on a highway and the person who has his mirror break is told he must stop on the side of the road and wait for seven years for things to calm down. The highway is used in this case as a symbol, to suggest a possible success of grandiose proportions. Because of this, it is harder for the person in question to get back on his feet and thus he has to wait seven years for things to settle down before hoping for a new chance.
