Symbolism, or the attribution of layers of meaning to an object or image, recurs several times in the poem. Ruefle most important symbol, as the poem’s title indicates, is the student’s hand, which stands for a connectedness to self and a source of knowledge. By not raising a hand to answer the teacher’s question, the student is exhibiting control over their choices, rejecting the boring and rote learning they are encountering in the classroom. Instead, the student enters an observational and meditative state as they study in detail “some essential beauty in your fingers” (Line 12), seeing in their hands the life and beauty of the natural world. Their hands are often restless, but now they “aren’t even drumming, but lie / flat and peaceful” (Lines 13-14)—the student, typically bursting with energy, is tranquilly learning a fundamental truth about themselves.

The apple performs a symbolic function as well. It represents knowledge and is indelibly connected to the fruit of knowledge from the biblical story of Genesis. Eschewing classroom learning, “You raise the top of your desk / and take out an apple” (Lines 8-9), seeking out a different, more profound kind of knowledge than the teacher can offer.