Drowning
The man drowning is a symbol of him being consumed by the struggles in his life. At the end of the poem, it is revealed that the fact the man drowned represents his struggles with his mental health, which ultimately went unheard.
Waving
The man's waving symbolizes his cries for help, which were misunderstood. The waving is an attempt at communication, which didn't go according to plan; although the man was asking for help, it was interpreted as a joke.
The death of the man
The death of the man ultimately represents the fact he has succumbed to his struggles and the fact that the people around him failed to help him. This symbolizes how important it is to listen to people and try to understand how they are feeling.
"Too far out"
At the end of the poem, the man is described as being "too far out," for his whole life. The fact he was "too far out" symbolizes the isolating impact of mental health problems, and how it made him feel unable to ask for help.
The misunderstanding
The misunderstanding of the man's cry for help represents the fact that people often misunderstand each other in daily life. This can ultimately have disastrous consequences, which is represented by the man drowning.
