How does the author use symbolism in the poem, Island of the Three Marias?

Paleness is used in the first stanza and white in the second and third to symbolize naivete, innocence, purity, rebirth, and hope. All of these images together resonate with both hope and a kind of naivete and are juxtaposed with descriptions of men who are, essentially, hopeless. The most important symbol in the poem is the island itself, Maria Madre, which Ríos refers to as "Island of the Three Marias." Mother Mary is the mother of Jesus Christ.