The Shadow

The shadow symbolizes a part of the self that is inaccessible. It is the primary metaphor used in the poem. The speaker compares her sorrow to her shadow, describing how it seems to always be "flying" away from her so that she can never reach it (18).

The Sun

The sun symbolizes truth. The speaker's inner self, represented by a shadow, cannot coexist within the light of the sun, but has to flee from it. Similarly, the speaker's love cannot be expressed openly due to social demands.

Snow

Snow symbolizes changeability. The speaker describes herself as being made of "melting snow" (14). Although she seems cold and distant, she is actually very much subject to the passions of love.

Death

Death symbolizes the end of love. The speaker twice imagines death – first that of the world, the "end of things," and then of herself (12). Both times, it...