This poem lacks a clearly defined setting. Instead, as it consists entirely of the speaker's reflection on the concept of love, it can be said to be taking place in his mind. There are references to specific settings, most notably seafaring images like the "wand'ring bark," but those all exist in the realm of metaphor (7). The poem thus neatly resists being placed in any real setting, contributing to the poem's argument that love is timeless and, the speaker suggests, placeless.