Weeds (Symbol)
In the poem, weeds are a symbol of the weakness of the faiths of other individuals. She describes them pointedly as "worthless as withered weeds." This image importantly informs the content of the poem in that it frames these other beliefs as changeable and weak—as thin and insignificant as a weed in the ground. This symbol is also important in that it grounds an otherwise abstract poem in a concrete sign. The image of the weed creates a clear picture of the difference between the speaker's intense and meaningful faith and these other beliefs that she holds in low regard.
Rock (Symbol)
The speaker references the "steadfast rock of Immortality" in the fifth stanza of the poem. Here, this rock symbolizes both the security of her faith and the immovable power of the God she believes in. The rock also sharply contrasts with the weeds and "idlest froth" on a river to which she compared other beliefs. These images of nature serve to highlight the certainty of her faith and the weakness of these others, effectively translating this idea into more solid terms.
