| Positive Image | Example | Negative Image | Example |
| Animals (strong, gentle) | steed of steadfastness | Animals (harmful, unintelligent) | aping of the past |
| Army of light (victorious) | army of justice | Forces of darkness (losers) | forces of ignorance |
| Attire (grace) | robe of healing | Nakedness, Rags, Guise (exposed, unworthy) | the nakedness of non-existence |
| Birds (joyous, peaceful, strong, free) | dove of certitude | Bat, Talons, Moth (misguided and under attack) | a myriad beaks of rancor |
| Book (knowledge) | book of creation | Idols (superstition) | idols of vain imitation |
| Breath and Breeze (stirring of the Holy Spirit) | breath of the breeze of the All-Merciful | Storm and Quake (confronted, uprooted) | tempestuous winds of tests |
| Circle (encompass) | pivot of the circle of life | Surrounded (hemmed in) | compassed with tribultaions |
| Clean (purity) | cleansing of every longing heart | Dust (sullied) | dross of earthly defilements |
| Concourse (good) | hosts of revelation | Satan (evil) | satan of self |
| Connection (on-line, flowing) | cord of consultation | Chain (bound, restrained) | fetters of the material world |
| Fashioner (creation) | shaper of the nations | Destroyer (destruction) | war is a destroyer of the human foundation |
| Cultivation (growth) | soil of human capacity | Hard Ground | hearts which are even as solid rock |
| Door (opening to hidden mysteries) | doors of love and unity | Barrier (shut out) | wall of discord |
| Eyes and Ears (understanding) | eye of truth | Blindness, Deafness, Tears (misunderstanding) | blind imitaion |
| Face and Body (close to reality) | Hand of Divine Bounty | Left Hand (far from reality) | left hand of idle fancy |
| Positive Image | Example | Negative Image | Example |
| Feasting (joy, fulfillment) | wine of certitude | Thirst, Hunger (unfulfilled) | thirsted for this wondrous Day |
| Fire (love, warmth) | flame of search | Smoke, Melt (consumed, burnt) | melted in my separation from Thee |
| Foundation (strength) | consultation... bedrock of this unique order | Swamp, Bog, Quagmire (weakness) | quagmires of slothfulness and bigotry |
| Fragrance (enjoyment) | sweet savors of true knowledge | Odor (repulsed) | stench of perfidy |
| Garden (beauty) | blossoms of the invisible realities | Weeds, Thorns (interference) | replace these useless weeds with roses |
| Health (blessed) | remedy of true salvation | Disease (cursed) | death of unbelief |
| Heaven (paradise) | heaven of Thy grace | Hell (pain) | hell of suffering |
| Heights (high station, faith) | throne of Thy majesty | Depths (hopelessness) | bottomless pit of error |
| Kingdoms (godliness) | court of unfading splendor | Territory (ungodliness) | city of self |
| Leader (majesty, guidance) | prince of virtues | Mischief-maker (fools, ill-intentioned) | instigators of corruption |
| Light (love, knowledge) | stars of divine wisdom | Darkness (hate, ignorance) | dark night of absence |
| Luminous (splendor, confidence) | brightness of certitude | Gloom (discouraged) | gloom of remoteness |
| Maiden (nurturing) | bosom of His providence | Tyrant (rejection, oppression) | tyranny of the watchman |
| Meadow, Vineyard (comfort) | planes of pure contentment | Desert (toil, distress) | desert of ignorance |
| Melody (bliss) | anthems of divine unity | Noise (affliction) | blast of Thy wrath |
| Positive Image | Example | Negative Image | Example |
| Mirror (reflection of the divine) | mirror of the beauty of truth | Fantasy, Illusion, Mirage (misconceptions) | illusion of your imagination |
| Path, Journey (progress) | bridges to reality | Wilderness (lost, uncertain) | wilderness of doubt |
| Renewal, Awake (revived) | new throb of energy | Sleep, Old, Worn-out (exhausted, used-up) | bed of heedlessness |
| Servant (service) | Maid-servant in the threshold of the love of the realm of Might | Player (selfish) | playing fast and loose with some project and soon giving it up |
| Shelter (home, freedom) | sanctuary of Thy favor | Trap (captive) | prison of infidelity |
| Sign (manifestation) | ensign of wisdom | Veil, Clouds (unreality) | veil of vain imaginings |
| Stronghold (protection) | impregnable fort of the Cause of God | Sword (assault) | spear of enmity |
| Time (dependable) | Day of ressurection | Moment (unreliable) | moments of heedlessness |
| Tongue (eloquence) | Tongue of truth and glory | Mute, Dumb, Whisperings (unwisdom) | whisperings of the foolish |
| Treasure (elegance, pricelessness) | pearls of mysteries | Rubbish, Dung hill (useless, yucky) | worthless and passing pleasures of the world |
| Tree, Flower (growth, beauty) | Tree of Life | Fruitlessness (failure) | fruitless strifes |
| Turning to God (good choice) | turn your faces towards My Face | Turning away from God (oblivion) | whose heart turned away form the Merciful One |
| Twin (similar importance or station) | Twin Holy Trees | Related but opposite | our unkind brother |
| Waters, Ocean (life, abundance) | seas of eagerness and enthusiam | Flood, Pool, Dregs (overwhelmed, deception) | foul dregs of impurity |
| Wealth (Bounty) | wealth of color and variety | Poverty, Deprivation (loss) | we are utter poverty |
| Other Baha'i Inspired Artistic Links
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Disclaimer: The personal views on this web site are a sincere attempt by this author to accurately present the Baha'i teachings poetically and artistically. For an official Baha'i web site, click on special links above, and then on the Baha'i Community of Canada.