Speaker

As in most poetry, the primary character in the poem is the speaker. He is portrayed as the ideal image of a gentleman and a knight. He is devoted and loving towards his mistress, and yet even more devoted to the conception of “Honour” (12). Knowing he must risk his life on the battlefield does not trouble him, only the sorrow of leaving behind the woman he loves – and yet he is still willing, even eager, to do so, because he knows that honor demands it. He follows in the model of such knightly heroes as Rolande and Lancelot to depict the blend of romantic devotion and militaristic honor.

Lucasta

The only named character in the poem is Lucasta, who lends her name to the poem’s title and to the title of the collection that the poem was published in. Scholars broadly agree that Lovelace, who never married...