The speaker
The speaker of this poem does not have a specified gender; there are no concrete references to being male or female. The speaker’s tone is thoughtful, somber, and foreboding all at once, as he/she begins with a personal epiphany that is both enlightening and sad and concludes the poem with a gentle warning to save humanity from solitude and suffering. The speaker is deeply reflective and has been soul-searching in his/her solitude, eventually coming to the realization that survival in this tough world is impossible on one’s own. Without social contact and support, one’s soul is deprived of the very nourishment it needs. On a higher level, the speaker implies that without solidarity, the human race literally cannot survive. We need each other to prevent human suffering—whether physical or emotional—and money and status cannot fill in for this basic need for human contact and solidarity.
The listener
The listener is an ambiguous figure who is never clearly specified. The speaker speaks directly to the listener, addressing this figure as “you.” At the poem’s outset, one might say that the listener is eavesdropping on the speaker as he/she thinks out loud and does not address anyone in particular. However, near the poem’s conclusion, the speaker suddenly addresses “you,” offering wisdom and advice to the listener. Given the poem’s overall themes of humanity and solidarity, one may surmise that the listener is humanity itself—the speaker is appealing to any human being who will listen.
Millionaires
The speaker references millionaires who are so wealthy that they don’t even know what to do with their money. This stanza is cynical in tone, as the speaker suggests that even wealthy people cannot buy the happiness that love and friendship provide. The stanza goes on to detail the various people in a millionaire’s life who are similarly unable to experience or compensate for the sadness that stems from trying to survive on one’s own.
Wives
Like the millionaires, wealthy wives are unable to buy love and friendship. These wives run around “like banshees—” a figure from Irish folklore, women who wail about impending death. This line in the poem is a likely metaphor for the wives’ frantic and superficial lives; despite their wealth, they still fuss and worry about their lives. Money does not give them the peace of mind, calm, and fulfillment that their souls need.
Children
The millionaires’ children are equally affected by the pain of loneliness and the empty promise of wealth. The children “sing the blues,” which suggests two different meanings. They are either living superficial lives by singing carelessly all day long, or they are feeling blue and suffering emotionally despite their wealth.
Doctors
The doctors referenced in the poem are those who treat the millionaires for their ailments—notably, their sadness and depression. The reference may be to psychologists or therapists in particular. However, no matter how savvy these doctors are, nothing can cure the wealthy people of their loneliness and “hearts of stone.” The doctor reference suggests that the millionaires are so afflicted by pain and loneliness that they can no longer connect with others emotionally and are thus incurable.
