The Dawn (Symbol)
The dawn is what might be called a common and "overdetermined" symbol; it can have different meanings depending on its specific context. But frequently the dawn is a scene not just of the beginning of the day, but also of a greater openness, newness, freshness—perhaps even a willingness to see the world of dreams even as the world of the everyday is about to begin. It is no surprise, then, that in the poem the visitation of the angels occurs at this moment of transition from night into day. The miraculous opportunities of sleep have not yet passed, but the concerns of daily life are about to begin. This moment of transition is precisely when the soul sees the angels, themselves figures of transition between the earthly and the spiritual realms.
Washing/Cleaning (Motif)
Christian teachings, and indeed many spiritual traditions, place cleanliness of the body or of garments next to a "clean" state of the soul. In this poem, the angels' clothes are sparkling, and they encourage the soul to return to earth, and to the sleeping man, with a newly powerful sense of what it means to provide clean clothes to others. This cleanliness is never explicitly likened to the clean or "pure" state of one's conscience, yet it bears on the idea, expressed frequently by artists and critics (especially in the 20th century), that life presents opportunities for the refreshing of one's state, even as one is soiled, again and again, by daily affairs.
"Difficult Balance" (Motif)
Much of the poem focuses on the idea of a balance or equilibrium between worlds, sensations, or ideas. The soul seems to animate the man, to connect him to heaven on the one hand and the world on the other. The angels balance their own terrible powers with their invitation to calm. Chores that can be so bothersome are, when viewed in the light of godliness, made into occasions for contemplation and even for celebration. And the nuns who end the poem are reminders that purity of purpose can come not just in jubilation but in quiet, constant work, in the unshowy garments they wear to remind themselves of their duties to the divine.
