Jane is a poet living on Eagle Pond Farm in New Hampshire, drawing inspiration from nature's cycles and domestic objects. Originally from the Midwest, she meets her husband while studying at the University of Michigan. She writes with a quiet, observant style that considers profound natural transitions, such as light turning to dark.

Donald is a resident professor and a prominent poet in his own right. He writes in a literary tradition that uses nostalgia to look at a past rooted in domesticity and farming. After marrying Jane, he lives with her at Eagle Pond Farm, where they support each other's writing careers.

The speaker is the narrative voice of "Let Evening Come." Observing a rural farm scene as daylight fades into night, the speaker acts as a calm guide through the transition. Rather than fighting the inevitable passage of time, the speaker documents the shifts in nature and models a mindset of peaceful acceptance.

God is a divine figure invoked at the close of the poem. Serving as a symbol for light in the encroaching darkness, this presence ensures that individuals are not left comfortless as evening falls. The introduction of God shifts the poem from a simple pastoral scene to a meditation on mortality and spiritual reassurance.

The woman is a figure in the poem whom the speaker compares to a chirping cricket. She sits quietly at the end of the day, peacefully knitting as the light fades. Her actions represent comfort and contentment at the close of the day.

John Keats is an English Romantic poet who heavily influences Jane's poetic rhythm and approach to morbid subjects. Though a historical figure, his literary presence is strong enough to trigger an obsessive absorption in Jane, guiding the way she confronts heavy topics with lightness.

Anna Akhmatova is a Russian poet whose work is translated by Jane. Her poems make up a significant translation project for Jane, resulting in a published collection that expands Jane's literary portfolio.