Time Stops
When he first sees Sandra at the circus, Edward tells us that when one meets the love of one's life, time literally stops. Tim Burton literally stops time, and everything freezes around Edward, as he walks through the circus towards Sandra. Acrobats are suspended in motion, popcorn is frozen in the air, and Edward pushes the popcorn aside to get closer to the woman he loves. This is a striking image in the film, and shows the viewer what Edward is feeling when he sees Sandra for the first time.
Born for bigger things
Edward tells the story about who he was as a kid growing up, and how he was destined for bigger things. This sense of purpose and destiny is literalized in the images of young Edward growing into adolescence. Burton shows Edward's buttons popping off of his shirt as his body begins to grow at an unprecedented speed in church. Growth is not a slow and indiscernible process, but an instant and outrageous one.
Carrying Edward
At the end, in the story he tells his father, Will carries Edward down to the river and puts him into the water, in a send-off that includes all of the characters from his father's life wishing him farewell. This imagery shows us that Will has accepted his father for who he is and is resolving the issues he had with his father. It also shows the ways that their roles have reversed: he is the one taking care of his father, telling the story, and keeping him safe and his memory alive.
Daffodils
As a way of courting Sandra, after going to visit her at Auburn, Edward plants a large number of her favorite flower, daffodils, outside her window. When she wakes up, she sees her intrepid suitor standing in a giant field of yellow. The image represents Edward's love for her, and his willingness to go above and beyond in pursuit of his desires and dreams.
