The Tree

The tree referenced in the fourth stanza of the poem symbolizes the tree of knowledge from the story of Adam and Eve in the bible. Throughout the poem, the speaker makes references to the way in which the acquisition of knowledge and experience aids in the transition from childhood into adulthood. This transition reflects the fall of humanity, depicted in the story of Adam and Eve, wherein they are banished from the Garden of Eden for consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge. When the speaker references the tree, they say it “[speaks] of something that is gone”—that thing that is gone being the speaker’s own childhood innocence, lost to age and experience (54).

The Children on the Shore

The image of the children playing on the shore described in the ninth stanza symbolizes the act of retrospection and reminiscing on early childhood...