The speaker represents a collective of living humanity. Details in the poem such as “making a sandwich” (Line 2) or enjoying a lazy summer afternoon suggest that the perspective is one of middle-class comfort. The speaker recounts what they have been told by others, but does not extend their own opinions on these ideas. Thus, the speaker becomes an objective voice through which the reader can explore and form their own theological beliefs about the relationship between the living and the dead. It is only at the end of the poem that the speaker expresses a fondness for the dead; however, both living and dead within the poem remain symbolic collectives, rather than individuals.