There is no discernible setting in the poem. Instead, the poem takes place inside Jonson's own mind as he contemplates and grieves over the loss of his son. Because he addresses the poem directly to his late son, the elegy can be read as a type of prayer or direct solicitation of the deceased. It gives the reader a sense of privacy and intimacy as Jonson speaks directly to his son and attempts to comfort himself in the knowledge that his child has transcended the pains and struggles of men on earth.