Narrator, “Player Queen”
The narrator of this poem is a young woman. This young woman’s mother firmly believes that she is destined to one day be royalty. As a result, the narrator spends many of her days being pampered by her mother; her mother braids gold into her hair and stitches her beautiful dresses that are fit for royalty. Though she loves her mother, the narrator cannot help but pity her. The young woman feels sorrow for the fact that her mother believes in this vision so deeply, but loves her all the same.
The Mother, “Player Queen”
Apart from the narrator, the only other character in this poem is the narrator’s mother. Her name and age are unclear. The mother is characterized by a vision she had about her daughter—the narrator—when she was younger. The mother had a vision that one day her daughter would be royalty. The mother believed in this vision so wholly that she began to groom the narrator for royal life. So convinced was the mother that her daughter would one day be royalty that she braided gold into her hair and sewed her regal dresses.
Narrator, “Paudeen”
The narrator of this poem gets into a brief spat with a local shopkeeper. Just as the argument is about to escalate, however, the narrator hears the sound of a bird outside the shop. This bird reminds him that all creatures are created equal in the eye of God—even bird and man. The sound of the bird’s beautiful cry helps the narrator to realize that the shopkeeper does not deserve his anger.
Shopkeeper, “Paudeen”
Though the shopkeeper plays a small role in this poem, he is similar to the narrator. The shopkeeper serves as the conflict of this poem. He and the narrator get into an argument—though it is unclear what starts it. Though the shopkeeper riles up the narrator, the sound of a bird call outside the store stops the two men from arguing.
Narrator, “No Second Troy”
The narrator of “No Second Troy” spends most of the poem bemoaning all the anguish and heartache that has been caused to him (and Ireland) by Maude Gonne. The narrator in this poem represents author Yeats, himself. Yeats was fascinated with Gonne and pursued her many times. Despite Yeats’ numerous propositions, Gonne always rebuffed his affections. As a result, Yeats—the narrator—wrote this poem to express his frustration with Gonne. He blamed her not only for the violence in Ireland but also for his own sorrows.
Maude Gonne, “No Second Troy”
Maude Gonne is the subject of Yeats’ poem, “No Second Troy.” Gonne has been likened to the infamously beautiful Helen of Troy—who was so beautiful and so mischievous that she caused the downfall of Troy. In this poem, Gonne is portrayed similarly to Helen. She is depicted as both beautiful and dangerous. Gonne was known for her revolutionary beliefs and her support of Ireland gaining its independence. In this way, she was integral to both the violence in Ireland and the turmoil within the narrator, himself.
