Plums (Symbol)
In the context of the poem, plums symbolize everyday pleasures. In the final stanza, the speaker makes it apparent how delicious the plums were. This is in part an explanation for his regrettable actions, but it is also a statement about the richness contained in this unremarkable experience. The speaker lingering on the details of how the plums taste shows that he cannot forget the intensity of that particular sense memory. He doesn't simply say that they tasted good. He says that they were "delicious," "sweet," and "cold." The sensory impression left by the plums is clear in the pinpoint accuracy offered by these three details. While the speaker feels guilt about eating his wife's plums, he cannot help but remember how specifically good they were.
Regret (Motif)
A recurring motif in the poem is regret. As it quickly becomes clear, the speaker regrets eating the plums. He is trying to communicate his apologies to his wife for this action. He admits his wrongdoing, acknowledging that she had been saving them, and tries to offer some kind of explanation for why he chose to eat them. The poem chooses to handle this regret in a nuanced way, by ending with a lengthy (by the poem's standards) description of the plums' taste. This moment reveals that the speaker regrets his eating of the plums in part because it was so intensely enjoyable in the moment. These moments show guilt, in the speaker's mind, as being closely related to fleeting pleasure.
Icebox (Symbol)
Though not as major as the plums, the icebox also serves an important function in the poem. The speaker characterizes himself as slightly different from his wife. Her deliberate placement of the plums in the icebox and her implied saving of them for a future breakfast suggest that she is methodical and thinks ahead. The icebox serves as a symbol for this kind of forethought. This is key to the poem as a whole, as it effectively draws a comparison between the speaker's reckless consumption of the plums and his wife's deliberate planning. His action was the exact opposite of hers, occurring entirely in the moment and without consideration of the aftereffects. The icebox's physical function of preserving the plums makes it work as a symbol for thinking ahead.
