Yellow leaf
The yellow leaf represents the fact that the speaker is no longer youthful. Instead, the speaker is approaching the end of life, which is symbolized here by the yellowing leaf, as this is the color of leaves before they die.
Flowers and fruits of love
Byron uses these symbols in order to represent the excitement and beauty of youth. While the speaker used to enjoy the exhilaration of being young, he is now considering whether his life was purposeful. Here, the images of flowers and fruits are used in order to represent the prosperity and values of being young.
The worm and the canker
Byron uses the dark and morbid images of the worm and canker (a destructive disease that affects plants) in order to symbolize his loss of youth. Although his old life is compared to the flourishing of spring, his current life is associated with death and decay. Although the poet was only thirty-six when writing this poem, he felt as though he were at the end of his life, hence the morbid images.
Volcanic isle
The speaker compares his loneliness to that of an isolated volcanic island. Although he still has his passion (symbolized here by the fire,) he is entirely isolated from society and other people.
Seasons
Byron uses the seasons in this poem in order to represent the different stages of life. Essentially, youth is spring, middle-age is fall, and death in winter. Imagery is used to support this idea, such as the "yellow leaf" of fall and the "flowers and fruits" of spring.
