The speaker of the poem
The speaker directly addresses God, describing his spiritual life-journey as he first devotes himself to God, then experiences sickness and suffering, and then attempts to find some degree of peace. The speaker first narrates his past and then ends the poem with two stanzas based in the present moment. While some identify the speaker as the poet himself, the speaker says things (such as threatening to replace God with another master) that the biographical George Herbert would not have condoned. For this reason, it is helpful to see them as separate.
The addressee/God
God, alternatively called “master” and “King.” God never responds to the speaker’s complaints and pleas. The speaker does not have access to God’s thoughts or intention. This creates the pathos of the poem, the pity the reader feels watching the speaker suffer due to his inability to understand God’s wishes or expectations.
The speaker’s soul and flesh
The speaker’s soul is personified and speaks to his flesh.
The speaker’s grief
His grief is personified and tells the speaker that he’s still alive.
