August as a symbol for decline
In poems and in literature in general, the symbol used to make reference to hope and positive aspects is spring. The author mentions in the second stanza the month of August as being the time when the two characters took the path downhill. The month marks the end of summer and thus the mentioning of the month of August may be used here as a symbol to make reference to the beginning of a person’s decline from a god life to a sinful way.
Honey-breathing heather
The downhill path is lined with honey-breathing heather, thus suggesting a pleasant walk for those on the path. The heathers have a negative aspect but the fact they are described as smelling as honey makes the reader understand how they might represent temptation for someone walking on the path. Because of this, the heather here represents the pull one might feel towards sin and also the attraction doing forbidden things have.
The meteor
The meteor appears in the third stanza and the person following the woman is the first to notice it. The woman urges the other person to ignore the meteor, claiming tis message can never be understood. The meteor here is a symbol for the word of God or any other person who may try to help a sinner revert from his path and return to the way they once were.
The hooded worm
The hooded worm appears in the fourth stanza. The worm is used in relation with decay and with death and thus in this context the worm is a symbol for the decay caused by immorality or by other sins.
The dead body
The dead body is the last thing the person sees before realizing that he or she is approaching hell. Because of this, the dead body is presented as being a symbol for eternal damnation and for the results a person has to suffer after sinning and refusing to return to the right path.
