Fire

Fire is a symbol of time and personal growth within the poem. The fire at the end of the poem is described as wondrous and hard-earned, and represents the trials the protagonists have had to overcome to make their marriage work despite the harshness of the conditions they have had to survive in.

Glacier

The glacier is a symbol of struggle and perseverance. Unlike the looming edge of a forest or a desert, the glacier is a clear representation of how time wears down the natural landscape and the marriage. The glacier is receding in contrast to the protagonists’ learning how to use fire but also serves as a symbol of all that they have endured, since they have seen it through its different phases.