Wet Hands Symbol
Herrera's father has wet hands from praying by the river each morning. This is a symbol of his religious devotion and also symbolic of a baptism, as he anoints himself with water each day after connecting with God.
Goat in the Sky Symbol
The poet talks of goat that floats across the night which is a symbol of the constellation Capricornus, symbolizing the starry appearance of the night but also symbolic of religious inquisitiveness and spirituality.
Father and Son Allegory
Although the poem is based upon a number of different experience had by the poet and his father, it is also allegorical of their relationship and the different lives that each has led.The poem also allegorizes the Chicano experience in general which Herrera feels his life represents.
Cross Cultures Motif
One of the poem's key motifs is the amalgamation of two cultures in Herrera himself, and in other first-generation Americans born to immigrant parents. He identifies with his father's experiences and personal history but is unable to fully understand his heritage or his father's own experiences in the United States. He also feels that although he is a Mexican American he finds it easier to identify with immigrants because he grew up among them.
Bitten Beard Symbol
His father's bitten beard is the symbol of a life led outdoors in mosquito-ridden terrain. The kerosene lamp also represents this as kerosene was thought to repel bugs.
