A 19th-century poet and the speaker of the sonnet. He experiences significant loss early in his life, including the deaths of his biological mother and his young wife. He writes to express his deep gratitude and familial devotion to his mother-in-law. His creative and impractical personality often causes friction with authoritative figures, but he remains intensely loyal to his immediate family.

The speaker's mother-in-law and biological aunt. She provides the speaker with a sense of stability, shelter, and maternal care during times of financial and emotional hardship. The speaker views her as more significant than his own biological mother because she gave life to his beloved wife.

The speaker's young wife and Maria's daughter. Her early death from a severe respiratory illness leaves a lasting void in the speaker's world. Her memory serves as the core reason the speaker holds such intense gratitude for her mother.

The speaker's biological mother and a professional actress. She passes away from tuberculosis when the speaker is almost three years old, leaving him to be taken in by foster parents in Virginia.

A successful businessman in Richmond, Virginia, who acts as the speaker's foster father. He maintains an orderly and disciplined personality that clashes heavily with his foster son's artistic habits.

The wife of John Allan. She acts as a foster mother to the young speaker after he is orphaned in Boston, bringing him into her household in Richmond, Virginia.