Winter

Winter is the most persistent symbol throughout the poem. It is both a literal and a figurative feature of the verse. Figuratively, Stevens refers to “a mind of winter” (1) in the first line of the poem. This suggests that mental temperament can be attuned with winter. The poem goes on to depict a winter scene, set in the month of January. The frigid, desolate nature of winter is invoked in order to explore the relationship between the human subject and the natural world. Winter is both a state of being and a baffling, cosmically intimidating reality.

Trees

Wallace Stevens depicts pine trees, juniper trees, and spruces in various states of camouflage by the ice and snow of winter. These trees take have different respective symbolic resonances, each inflected by the season.

Silence

Sound and silence are invoked in turn throughout the poem. The sounds that are...