Mountains
In the poem ‘’Incantation’’ the narrator mentions how human reason and poetry had to cross over a mountain in order to come into existence. The mountain mentioned in the poem is a symbol, used to make reference to the troubles the two had to face in order to come into existence. It is also used as a symbol to transmit the idea that the two had to deal with various hardships in order to come into existence.
The tiger
In the poem ‘’Ars Poetica’’ the narrator talks about a tiger which comes to light and which exists in every man and woman. The tiger is awoken by poetry and also receives power from poetry. The tiger is used in this context as a symbol that stands for the buried feelings poetry brings forth. And just like a tiger is a dangerous creature, these feelings are dangerous as well and may have a destructive force.
Flowering trees
The flowering trees appear in the first stanza of the poem ‘’Child of Europe’’. The trees are linked here with the men and women who survived the war and who were able to live in a new and safe society and enjoy life. The trees also have here a symbolic meaning and are used by the narrator to make reference to the hope felt by those who survived the war.
Symbol for inhumanity
In the poem ‘’Child of Europe’’, the narrator also mentioned the barbed wires and gas chambers he saw during the war. The narrator argues many were willing to sacrifice their comrades just to live another day. The reason why many soldiers did those things is because they were afraid they will die as well. Thus, the barbed wires and the gas chambers became a symbol used for inhumanity, manifested both by the soldiers and by some of the prisoners as well.
Cathedral and churches
After mentioning the gas chambers and the barbed wire in the poem ‘’Child of Europe’’, the narrator mentions how while the old world was destroyed, the old churches and cathedrals remained. Those who survived found solace in the imposing buildings and would often go there to pray. The narrator claims that those people went there not because they were religious, but because they find peace in the little piece of past still intact. Thus, the churches and the cathedrals became a symbol for the world destroyed by the war.
