# head and tail

Isaiah explains this metaphor in verse 15. The "head," the part of an animal a person would want to be, is "the leader and the noble man," and the "tail," the dirty part of the animal, is "the prophet who teaches lies." 

# palm branch and reed

The "palm branch" grows high on the tree and is a metaphor for people who are important and rule others. The "reed" grows in shallow water and stands for people who are poor and unimportant and are ruled by others.