Man

This is a figure addressed in the first two lines of the poem: “To him who in the love of Nature holds / Communion with her visible forms” (1-2). Throughout the poem this address is maintained with the antiquated pronouns “thou” and “thee,” keeping the reader cognizant of the intimate style of the verse. This subject is gendered as masculine throughout the poem, as in various verses where the possessive pronoun “his” is used in reference to the human subject approaching death.

Nature

Nature is a force that is anthropomorphized throughout the poem. Bryant genders this force as feminine early on in the poem: “she speaks / A various language” (2-3). The way in which nature communicates with humanity is depicted as intentional and generous, offering the capacity for healing and renewal.

The Rude Swain

This is an incidental figure in the poem, encountered only inasmuch the universal subject whose...