The Speaker

The principal character of the poem, referred to as the "speaker," is both the narrator and the protagonist. The narrator can be inferred to be female, since the poem is by a female author and addresses a male love interest. Other than that, limited biographical data about the speaker is shared. Readers do, however, get a sense of her character as a deeply conflicted figure. She describes herself as experiencing a series of contradictions, creating a characterization of someone who wants two entirely opposed things and struggles to clearly understand herself.

"Monsieur"

The existence of a second character in the poem is only really implied. The speaker's romantic interest barely appears in the poem, but it is his departure that provokes the speaker's expression of grief and melancholy. We know the speaker perceives him to be in "[her] breast," close to her heart (11). It is also implied...