Bob (‘Sestina’)
Bob is a symbol of the ideal man. He is a good looking and educated man who is the envy of the Speaker. He symbolizes all the traits that men want to have, such as; sexual attraction, good looks and successful.
Ex-girlfriend (‘Sestina’)
The ex-girlfriend symbolizes the Speaker’s desire for love and affection. The Speaker clearly envies the relationship between her and Bob and wishes he was in Bob’s place.
Ladder in the barn (‘Psalm’)
The ladder is personified as a human figure, as the Speaker notes that it ‘wants to make you feel better’. This is a symbolism for the most common place of things holding deeper value in one’s life.
Nature
Nature is personified throughout the relevant poem in order to symbolize the depth of God’s presence throughout the world. The Speaker notes the way that the ‘morning hardly breathes’, as if it’s alive and waiting for the Speaker to arrive.
