Spring and Summer
Seasons are described in great detail in the poem, with spring and summer serving as metaphors for youth, possibility, and joy. The narrator emphasizes how the flowers, trees, and plants begin to bloom in the spring and thrive in the summer, suggesting the joy and cheerfulness that Gawain feels in the first half his one-year waiting period.
Winter
By contrast, the winter is portrayed as a metaphor for decay, old age, and death. The narrator describes the winter months as harsh and tiring, and indeed when Gawain finally spies the castle in the enchanted forest he sees it as a respite from the bleak travels he has experienced. The text condenses Gawain's one-year waiting period into a metaphor for life, showing how winter (and death) are part of the cyclical nature of the world.
Green Knight
The Green Knight is a multifaceted metaphor in the text. At once a symbol of nature and of man's virtue, the Green Knight seems to interrogate man's relationship to himself and to the natural world. The Green Knight encourages virtue, fidelity, and honesty among men while also showcasing the connection between civilization and the animal world.
Glances
When the Green Knight appears in Arthur's court, he is a sight to behold. The narrator describes his elaborate green outfit and large stature. He also notes that his "glances were like bright lightening" (Fitt 1). Here, the narrator uses a simile to compare the Green Knight's looks to lightening, imbuing the knight with power and intensity among the onlookers in Arthur's court.
Hunting and Seduction
The elaborate descriptions of Bertilak's hunts and subsequent butchering of the animals is juxtaposed with Gawain's seduction encounters with Lady Bertilak back at the castle. These parallel activities suggest that hunting and seduction are both metaphors for pursuit and survival, and that they are more alike than one might perceive.
