The narrator of the poem is a devoted but unrequited lover who addresses the object of their affection. Unlike traditional courtly lovers who focus on youthful physical beauty, the speaker claims to be the "one man" who loves the addressee's "pilgrim soul" and the sorrows of their changing face. They possess a deep, observant devotion that allows them to see the true nature of the beloved despite the passage of time.

The subject of the poem is the speaker's beloved, whom the speaker imagines reading this very book in old age. In their youth, they possess a "glad grace" and beauty that attracts many superficial admirers. They possess a restless "pilgrim soul" and carry deep secrets and sorrows that eventually manifest on their aging face.

An Anglo-Irish poet and playwright who helps drive the Irish Literary Revival. He holds a deep fascination with Irish legends and the occult, which informs his early work. His lifelong unrequited love for Maud Gonne heavily influences his poetry, driving him to write works that process his rejection and explore the brevity of life.

An Irish republican revolutionary of Anglo-Irish descent, who also works as an actress and suffragette. She shares an interest in the occult and encourages dedication to Irish nationalism. She serves as a longtime muse to William Butler Yeats, rejecting numerous marriage proposals and maintaining her independence while profoundly shaping his literary output.

Love operates as a personified, tangible entity within the poem's narrative. Rather than an abstract concept, Love takes on physical actions, fleeing from the fireside scene to pace along the mountaintops overhead. Ashamed or distant, Love hides its face among a crowd of stars, representing the lost opportunity between the speaker and the addressee.

A collective group of individuals from the past who harbor affection for the addressee during their youth. They focus primarily on the addressee's grace and physical beauty, offering affections that the speaker notes are either false or true.

A woman 26 years younger than William Butler Yeats. She accepts his marriage proposal shortly after he faces consecutive rejections from his longtime muse and her daughter. She helps establish a stable family life that produces two children.

The young daughter of an Irish revolutionary. When she is 22 years old, she receives a marriage proposal from her mother's longtime admirer, which she briefly considers before rejecting him.

An influential poet promoted during the early 20th century. His association with Yeats eventually leads to controversial political connections later in their lives, reflecting a shared shift toward specific public order movements.

A fascist leader whose public order movements fascinate William Butler Yeats after World War I. He represents the authoritarian methods and political structures praised by the poet in his later years.

The young son of Maud Gonne. His early death inspires William Butler Yeats to write the poem "On a Child’s Death."