Image of Death and Purity: The poet compares the snow to a burial cloth. He says, 

“White funeral cloth is slowly unrolled over deathless earth.” 

Symbol of Life and Creation: In his dream, Okara sees black birds and oil palms. He writes, 

“I dreamed of birds, black birds flying in my inside.”

Symbol of Human Greed: Okara shows a contrast between human greed and nature’s purity. The poet dreams of the “uprooters tired and limp, leaning on my roots – their abandoned roots.” These uprooters try to destroy nature but fail. Their tiredness shows the weakness of human greed. The roots of the oil palms stand strong. It symbolizes nature’s endurance. This image teaches that when humans lose touch with nature, they also lose their strength and peace.

Spiritual Symbolism and Peace: In the last part, Okara finds spiritual meaning in nature’s quiet beauty. The earth becomes a symbol of divinity and mystery. The snow-covered trees bow “like white-robed Moslems salaaming at evening prayer.” This image connects nature to worship and faith. Nature itself becomes a temple where peace and devotion live in silence. The poet learns that spirituality is part of life’s natural harmony.

In “Snowflakes Sail Gently Down,” Gabriel Okara joins symbolism and imagery to show the unity of life, death, and renewal. The snow, birds, roots, and trees are not just pictures of nature; they are symbols of peace, creation, and faith. This poem teaches that nature, like the human soul, never truly dies. It continues its calm, eternal cycle of rest and rebirth.