Perhaps what you are seeking here is a "physical" metaphor. For instance, the trees that the devil is chopping down are all very impressive on their outsides, but rotten on the inside. This "rottenness" is a metaphor for the big-shot men of the town itself: They are all very flashy outwardly, but inwardly, they are "rotten" or evil. This type of symbolism was very popular during the time of Irving, Hawthorne, and Poe.
Another metaphor occurs at the end, when Tom's horses become skeletons, his riches turn to wood chips and shavings, and his house burns. The symbolism, or metaphor, that is seen here is the ruin and decimation of Tom's life itself. All that is left is worthless.
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