The Speaker

The speaker, though anonymous, is a person sitting at an airport gate waiting to board their flight. She observes her fellow passengers and draws conclusions about them based on their appearances and behavior. The speaker relishes this time, when she gets to peacefully observe society and the collision of different social groups in one space.

Heeled Bachelorette

This character is briefly mentioned in the tenth line of the poem. The identifying descriptor for this character, heeled, is interesting because of the potential for double-entendre: both the wearing of high-heeled shoes and being well-heeled in the socioeconomic sense are possible references. Rita Dove also revels in the mere act of speculation, as there is typically no way of adducing a passerby’s relationship status. In this way the poem sets up characters who themselves be mere momentary stand-ins for social types.

Lone Executive

This character is explained as...