This poem is unique among the sonnets in that it is almost devoid of characters. Although dedicated to the "Fair Youth," like the other sonnets in this sequence, it differs by avoiding any real description or even depiction of this character. There is no mention of the beloved, only of love in the abstract. Thus, the only real character in the poem is the speaker, who seems to be a thoughtful, slightly removed figure. It is unclear if he is actually involved in this relationship he is describing, though it seems to be that he is not, as he speaks about it in poetic but abstract terms. We also know that the speaker – like Shakespeare –is a writer, given the final couplet of the poem.