Passionate or gutless?

[Leanne]

You can build up your own use of symbols. An autobiographical reference can usually be understood as simply that, autobiography. After reading a few of somebody's poems on similar subjects, you can build for yourself the context of the poet's materials. There are so many symbols that people are used to taking in certain ways. Making symbols your own, making them work in your own personal symbolism is a large part of working with them.

Quite so. Many people have recurring motifs that run through their poems -- their purpose need not be spelled out clearly, but it should always serve to build a more complete picture of the poet's thoughts. Motifs/symbols should add, not detract.