Describe symbolism in The Continuous Life by Mark Strand

Using a series of symbolic images and abstract statements, Strand's poem seeks to describe the nuances of how a human being experiences being alive. In this sense, his poem universalizes experience but because the descriptions are so general, many readers can see the shape of their own lives in Strand's depictions. That "shape" is informed by the idea of continuity, the notion of how someone retains a sense of him- or herself over time.