The unnamed narrator of the poem acts as an observant outsider who appreciates the hidden elements of the natural world. This individual perceives aesthetic value where the rest of society fails to look, specifically noticing a secluded young woman living completely apart from civilization. The narrator possesses a keen eye for subtle details, finding beauty in modesty rather than public spectacle. By acting as the sole evaluator of Lucy's worth, the narrator develops a private emotional attachment that results in profound grief when confronting her absence.

Lucy is an unmarried young woman living a highly secluded existence in the English countryside near the River Dove. She occupies a physical space completely separate from standard human traffic and civilization, leading a life that goes unobserved by society at large. Because she lives away from public view, she receives no praise and garners no romantic attention from the general public. Her quiet physical presence aligns closely with the natural environment, sharing traits with hidden underground springs, violets obscured by mossy stones, and solitary stars in the night sky.