The speaker is an observant and joyful individual attending a wedding ceremony. Acting as a storyteller, he recounts a vivid, intimate encounter he witnessed in a local neighborhood orchard. He pays close attention to the natural world and finds examples of wild, uninhibited love in ordinary, everyday moments.

The goldfinch is an energetic and hungry bird feeding in a populated town's orchard. It enthusiastically pursues the seeds of a sunflower, dangling, flapping its wings to keep balance, and swooping around its meal. Within the speaker's narrative, the bird acts as one half of a living allegory for wild affection and joyful consumption.

The sunflower is a stately, voluptuous plant growing in a neighborhood orchard. It wears a graceful crown and acts as a welcoming partner to the goldfinch, gently lifting the food of its body to feed the bird. In the speaker's story, the flower represents sustenance, openness, and the generous yielding found in a loving relationship.

Keith is one half of the couple for whom the speaker delivers the epithalamion. He is stepping into marriage, surrounded by a gathering of friends who are present to celebrate the union and listen to the speaker's observations on love.

Jen is the other half of the couple celebrating their wedding. The speaker addresses the gathering of friends to honor her and Keith's relationship, using a vibrant natural allegory to wish them a joyful and uninhibited union.