One of the most repeated symbols in this poem is the image of the hill. It is repeated in four stanzas. In the first stanza of the poem, the hill is mentioned as "Virginia's ideal adorned with goldenrods and incense" (2-3). This hill is specifically in Virginia and its image looks like something found on a brochure with beautiful nature. The hill is mentioned again in the second stanza: "It is a certain hill, the one that I imagine when I hear the word 'hill'... and this hill would still be beautiful" (1-2, 5- 7). There is an obvious image of a hill that the character represents. Hills generally have a top and a bottom. I believe that the hill in this poem represents the ups and downs of the character's life and the way the character describes the hill as beautiful gives him a sense of optimism about life. Berman writes about the hill again in the fifth part of the poem: "The hill outside my window is as beautiful as ever, bathed in a kind of golden national park light" (300-301). The last mention of the hill is in the twenty-third stanza, the first two lines read: "I came out of the hill behind our house which seems positively Alaskan today." The hill is now mostly covered in snow due to the mention of Alaska. You can't tell what the hill looks like with the snow covering it, which represents how the character feels about his life. Another symbol is that of the character's dogs. Dogs are normally symbolized as kind and loving animals, man's best friend. The second stanza of part five is: “I watch my dog ​​have nightmares, twitching and whimpering on the office floor and I try to imagine what beast has cornered him in the meadow where his dreams take place.” This stanza represents the character of a young person. The character feels that he has not yet achieved his dreams, but he cannot achieve them because he is not happy. The dog is mentioned again: "but I was with our young dog and he was running through the tall grass like he was running.