The first-person voice of the poem acts as an observer and protector. Upon finding a fading figure in the woods, the speaker attempts to bring the subject to a safe place. The speaker eventually experiences a disorienting shift in perception, struggling to distinguish between a living cheek and a funereal pall.

An ambiguous figure that the speaker discovers alone in the woods. Described metaphorically as a "pleiad," she is separated from her usual companions and left vulnerable to the elements. Her physical state is waning, represented by a pale cheek that has lost its lively color.

Birds referenced from oral tradition who discover lost individuals in the forest. They function as funeral attendants, gathering leaves to cover those who succumb to the elements. Their presence invokes both the finality of passing and the possibility of rebirth in nature.

Two young children from a traditional story who wander into the forest and perish from the harsh environment. Their tragic end prompts the robins to cover them with leaves, establishing a direct parallel to the fading figure the speaker finds.