The speaker is an older individual reflecting on his mortality and the fleeting nature of life. He views his current stage of life through bleak imagery, comparing his aging body to branches shaking in the cold and twilight fading into night. He feels a deep sense of urgency about time passing and seeks to impart wisdom about cherishing life before it ends.

The Fair Youth is an unnamed young man who serves as the recipient of the speaker's advice. He represents vitality and the early stages of life that the speaker has already left behind. The exact nature of his bond with the speaker remains ambiguous, functioning simultaneously as a romantic prospect and a younger mentee receiving life counsel.