Plantains Symbol
To Nichols, the speaker in the poem, plantains are a symbol of her mother's cooking and of where she grew up. They are also a symbol of the fact that although she lives in London it is not home; home is Guyana where her mother makes her plantains and sweet potatoes. The plantains are also a reassurance for her that home is still there. They are almost like having her mother with her, holding her hand, and so in this way are also a symbol of safety.
Leaving Galleries Symbol
In "Beacon", the speaker says that she leaves art galleries in search of plantains. This is a symbol of her double life. In London she appears as the other literati do; she goes to galleries, she attends social functions, she does the things that give the appearance of being a part of her "new" life in London. However, the fact that she leaves the galleries in search of plantains is symbolic of the fact that she really does not feel as if she fits in her new life. It is a veneer of fitting in. She cannot have both sides of her at the same time, and so the fact that she leaves one in pursuit of enjoying the other symbolizes the two distinct lives that she lives and the fact that one life feels truly hers whilst the other does not.
Nature Motif
There is a strong nature motif throughout Nichols' poems, the most obvious being in the metaphorical poem "Forest", which takes us to a heavily wooded forest, through mountains, and also through the company of monkeys. The forest is seen as a living and breathing thing, and Nichols' appreciation for the natural world is evident throughout. Similarly, "Cat-Rap" deals with a domestic feline, but her attention to the rhythms of the cat's existence demonstrate again a clear passion for the natural and wild.
Guyana Motif
Nichols hails from Guyana and there is a heavy Guyanan motif in all her work. The most obvious is "Beacon" because it tells of the foods of her childhood that she misses and that provide her with the reassurance of home on a cold and miserable evening in London. "Forest" also details Guyana very clearly, describing the mountains and forest below and also the animals that she has grown up seeing every day. Even "Cat-Rap" has a certain melodic rhythm to it that is reminiscent of a Caribbean musical beat when read allowed, again perpetuating the Guyana motif.
Secret Life Motif
Nichols writes frequently about characters, or has a narrator, who are enjoying the fact they have a secret or hidden life. Take the domestic "moggy" in "Cat-Rap", for example. We might think that he is a sweet, domesticated cat but underneath that fur is a street cat, a rapper, a cat with an edge that might surprise us.
"Forest" tells of the secrets that the forest keeps from the other parts of the world around it - again emphasising the importance of being able to keep a secret.
"Beacon" tells us of Nichols carrying a plantain in the pocket of her coat to keep her warm when she is lonely. To anyone passing by she would look like any other Londoner suffering in the cold, with her hands thrust deeply in her overcoat; however, she is keeping a beacon from home, which is her little secret from all of the people around her.
