The Ocean
In At Days Bay, the ocean is described in the following passage:
"slow untroubled by any
grouch of mine or yours, Father
Ocean tumbles in the bay
alike with solitary."
Here, the ocean represents the calming presence of nature. Describing the ocean as "father" might suggest the parental or comforting influence of the ocean, but might also be a reference to the fact the ocean is an embodiment of God. In this poem, the ocean also represents the indifference of nature, that carries on no matter what humans are dealing with.
The old man
In East Coast Journey, the speaker is traveling along the East Coast and reflects on an old man he saw earlier in the day. The old man represents the inevitable impact of aging, and the fact that the speaker himself will one day be older. He reflects on this idea, saying "As a man grows older he does not want beer, bread, or the prancing flesh, but the arms of the eater of life." This suggests that when men grow old they are not interested in the pleasures of life anymore, but instead seek death.
Penance
In Autumn Testament, the speaker describes how he is walking bare-footed down a hill: "My feet are sore, being bare, on the sharp stones. And that is a suitable penance." Penance is the idea that one must suffer in order to prove their faithfulness and is used as a powerful image in many religious texts. As such, the speaker's feet hurting symbolizes his repentance, connects him to religious figures before him.
Honey
In Wild Bees, the smoking of a bee's next is described with military imagery, almost as if it is a battle between the bees and the men. The bee's honey is described symbolically as being "plunder" and "gold." This fits in brilliantly with the battle-like atmosphere of the poem, and also visually describes the honey as being golden. Additionally, describing the honey as being "golden" suggests how valuable it is to the bees, so valuable that they are prepared to die fighting for it.
