The Trees
As one might presume from the title, this poem describes the meeting of the narrator and his companion in the presence of trees. These trees symbolize something beyond themselves: the quality of a relationship that is not strained and that is aware of its own wonder. The effortless community of the trees with their neighbors is an inspiring model, making the observers simply stand and enjoy each others' presence.
Silence
When the narrator and his companion begin to mimic the trees, basking in nothing more than the presence of the other person, they hear a beautiful "silence filled with noises." This is a confusing term, but silence can be a vessel for powerful meaning, and in this poem, it symbolizes the contented state achieved by friendship. This silence is illustrated with meaning: their smiles and the winter wind are almost audibly perceptible in the stillness.
A Puzzling Light
The poem's narrator muses that our days are "Placed in a puzzling light, and moving," a phrase that reflects the changing and unclear nature of flowing time. This "puzzling light" is a symbol for the nature of self-perception that leads to confusion and lost time, but it is also a positive reminder that a complete grasp of one's reality is neither possible nor desirable.
Speech
As mentioned in the first stanza, speech is a symbol for the artifices of social interaction, a necessary evil that must be utilized to reach the state of contentedness: deep friendship. The trees have embodied the ideal speechless community: if there is speech, it is forever frozen, locked out of chronologically progressing time, and the trees are simply content in each others' company.
The Day's Reticence
The last stanza mentions something about the day being reticent (choosing not to speak out of shyness). This is a confusing line, but its symbolism could be interpreted as being similar to that of the puzzling light: the day is shy about revealing its true, deep meaning, and partial knowledge is all one can expect about everything that occurs to him. It seems to be emphasizing the message that partial ignorance is bliss, and that a complete grasp of one's reality is neither possible nor desirable.
