Moon

The moon is the central symbol in the poem. Much is made in the early portion of verse about moonlight, which is depicted as cold and blue, casting a despondent shadow on the world. The moon is also associated with bewitchment and pre-Christian worship as opposed to Abrahamic religious rites. The moon also symbolizes the power of darkness and nightfall, serving as an icon for the solitary and abandoned nature of humanity.

Yew Tree

Within certain European Christian traditions, branches of yew trees are displayed at Palm Sunday. In adjacent cultural traditions the yew tree was seen as a symbol of death or mourning as well as a symbol of infinity or immortality. This gives the evergreen tree a connotation in the poem associated with the solemnity of religious rite and imbues it as a symbol of the despair and despondency attached to mourning.

Faces

Depictions...