Point of View

This poem is written in the point of view that is almost universal to the sonnet form — a single, close first-person present perspective. It is also told to the reader as though it is taking place in real time — rather than recounting a past event or predicting a future one, the poem’s use of present tense allows readers to feel like these emotional experiences are happening as the reader is learning about them.

The use of first-person point of view is prevalent in the sonnet form because sonnets are poems that focus on the individual experience. In this case, the poem is focused almost entirely on the speaker’s feelings of loneliness, isolation, and despair. It is important to note, however, that the speaker should not be over-identified with the author. Although the speaker is sometimes treated like a mouthpiece for the author’s...