Light (Symbol)
Light functions as a complex symbol in the text. At the beginning of the poem, it works as an example of the love between the speaker and his wife. He describes the feeling between them as a light that has recently been shining more "greyly," suggesting that while their love remains strong, it is clouded by something. The poem's ending seems markedly optimistic because it uses the image of dawn light to show that there is hope for the couple in the future. The sunrise occurs immediately after the speaker has warded off the specter of his wife's brother, and as such it seems to suggest that life will continue on for them, unclouded by some of these previous struggles.
The Grey Figure (Symbol)
The "grey" figure functions as a symbol for looming grief. After the speaker identifies the figure as his wife's deceased brother, the figure's significance because clear. The figure is characterized as a troubling presence that looms over the speaker's bed in a menacing fashion, trying to separate him from his wife. He also quickly comes to see the speaker as the intruder. In this way, it becomes very clear that the figure is a stand-in for the wife's grief. He makes her "restless" as he brings his discomforting presence into their room. He works well as a symbol for the enduring pain of loss in that he refuses to leave and torments the speaker's wife. He is the literal embodiment of her unshakable suffering. The speaker's attempts to comfort her are rejected by this figure because it wants the speaker's wife to hold onto his painful memory.
Window (Symbol)
The window is symbolic of the outside world. The speaker begins the poem by parting the curtains so that he and his wife can see the trees and night sky outside their home. Similarly, the poem ends with the speaker describing the sunrise outside, beginning a new day. These glimpses of the outside world optimistically suggest that there is more going on outside the limited perspective of their shared home. This is important in that it allows the speaker's wife to feel that there is hope outside her grief.
